Philadelphia man sentenced to 20 to 40 years in fatal stabbing of Nicki Minaj’s stage manager

Khalifya Neely, 39, was convicted of third-degree murder and possession of an instrument of crime in the death of De’Von Pickett, 29, outside Che Bar & Grill.

De'Von "Day Day" Pickett (above), a seasoned road manager for rap superstar Nicki Minaj, was fatally stabbed outside an East Germantown bar in 2015.Read morehandout

by Julie Shaw

Published March 19, 2021, 1:34 p.m. ET

A Philadelphia man was sentenced to 20 to 40 years in state prison Friday for the fatal stabbing of rap superstar Nicki Minaj’s stage manager outside an East Germantown bar six years ago.

Khalifya Neely, 39, was convicted by a jury last year of third-degree murder and possession of an instrument of crime in the death of De’Von Pickett, 29, outside Che Bar & Grill on the 6300 block of Stenton Avenue in February 2015.

He was also convicted of aggravated assault in the stabbing and wounding of Pickett’s friend, Eric Reese, then 27. Pickett and Reese were in town from New York with other members of Minaj’s band and support crew to rehearse for her European tour. They had gone to the bar to see a bartender with whom Reese was romantically involved.

According to trial testimony, the violence erupted over the woman, with whom Neely had an on-again, off-again relationship.

Assistant District Attorney Adam Geer told Common Pleas Court Judge J. Scott O’Keefe that Pickett, who was stabbed twice — in his heart and abdomen — was “living his dream” and going on international tours, and his life was “destroyed over absolutely nothing.”

During Friday’s sentencing hearing, attended by 80 people on Zoom, Reese lamented his friend’s death, saying: “He wasn’t even a part of this situation.”

Pickett’s mother, Darcia, said: “I’m broken and always will be. You, sir, took my only child,” she told Neely. She noted that her son had touched many lives, and that there were people from London and Germany present during the virtual hearing.

O’Keefe told Reese and Pickett’s mother that he couldn’t imagine their pain. He added five years’ probation to the sentence, ordered Neely to pay $12,210.27 in restitution and undergo anger management therapy.

Ministers and friends of Neely’s told the judge that Neely mentored young people, supported a youth football team, donated money to a mosque to benefit children, and was a good father.

Neely’s first trial in 2019 ended in a mistrial after jurors couldn’t reach a unanimous decision on the charges.