Philly jury convicts man in fatal stabbing of Nicki Minaj’s stage manager

A Philadelphia jury on Friday returned a third-degree murder conviction against the man who fatally stabbed the stage manager for the rap superstar Nicki Minaj and wounded another man outside a Germantown bar in 2015.

The verdict against Khaliyfa Neely, 38, of Germantown, came after a nine-day trial in Common Pleas Court and a mistrial last year, when a jury failed to reach a unanimous decision on any charges in the killing of De’Von Andre Pickett.

Neely, who has been jailed without bail since his 2017 arrest, is to be sentenced April 24 for third-degree murder, aggravated assault, simple assault, and possession of an instrument of crime. The murder charge carries a maximum 20-to-40-year sentence.

On Feb. 18, 2015, Pickett, 29, was killed and his friend Eric Reese, now 31, was stabbed four times after a fight with Neely and Pierce Boykin, now 36, outside Che Bar & Grill, 6364 Stenton Ave. The violence erupted over a woman in whom both Neely and Reese had romantic interest, according to trial testimony.

Pickett and Reese were in town from New York with other members of Minaj’s band to rehearse for her European tour. Minaj was not at the bar when the incident happened.

Initially, Boykin, of East Mount Airy, was charged with committing the murder, but the District Attorney’s Office dropped that charge and recharged him with aggravated assault after gathering more evidence that pointed to Neely as the killer, said Assistant District Attorney Adam Geer, who tried the case with Assistant DA Ed Jaramillo.

“I’m really appreciative that the jury took the time and approached a really difficult case with an open mind, and looked at all the facts and agreed that the defendant was responsible,” Geer said.

He added that the verdict further distances Boykin from the murder charge he once wrongly faced. In 2016, Boykin pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and was sentenced to 23 months in jail. He was expected to testify against Neely this week but could not be found, Geer said.

Of Pickett, Geer said: “It became clear to us that he was a special presence and a special person to his group of friends. He was always joking and making sure everyone was having a good time. We just hope this helps his family begin to heal.”

Attorney Anthony Petrone, who represented Neely, told the jury that the fight started when Reese “hurled rude” comments. The stabbings were committed by Boykin, not Neely, Petrone said.