Quincy Homere, one of two men accused of murdering rapper Chinx (real name Lionel Pickens), has pleaded guilty to manslaughter and could face up to 23 years in prison. Homere, 32, entered the guilty plea in a New York City courtroom on July 15. First-degree manslaughter, a Class B felony, carries a maximum sentence of 25 years.

Chinx was killed in a drive-by shooting in Queens, New York, in 2015 at the age of 31. His widow, Janelli Caceres, expressed gratitude to the NYPD, the Queens DA, and the community for preserving Chinx’s memory and music legacy.

Homere and another suspect, Jamar Hill, were arrested in December 2017 and charged with multiple offenses, including second-degree murder and attempted murder. The prosecution alleges that the murder was a result of a dispute between Chinx and Homere while they were both incarcerated at Rikers Island in 2009.

Pickens’ widow, Janelli Caceres, spoke with FOX 5 NY‘s Lisa Evers in an exclusive interview.

“It was pretty emotional. I literally cried the whole time sitting there, actually staring at him, because there’s so many different thoughts and words are running through your head, and you know you have to keep your composure,” Caceres told Evers.

French Montana, a close friend and collaborator of Chinx, praised his work ethic and talent, suggesting that Chinx would have been a Top 5 MC if he were still alive. Montana considered Chinx to be a better rapper than himself, attributing this to Chinx’s ability to learn from his mistakes and adapt his style. He was signed to French Montana’s record label and had a hit record in rotation on hip hop radio mainstay HOT 97.