Murder of Martell Derouen by Sasha Skare investigated on Snapped

Snapped is profiling the murder of Martell Derouen, a San Antonio rapper related to Beyoncé, who was killed by Sasha Skare in the La Cantera area of the city in 2021.

Officers were called to 34-year-old Derouen’s apartment on January 26, 2021, to perform a welfare check; on their approach, they noticed a bullet hole in his front door.

The cops found the rapper lying on the floor with a gunshot wound. There was also evidence of a violent struggle in the apartment.

Neighbors told the police they heard a man and a woman arguing before hearing a gunshot.

Investigators were alerted to Skare when they uncovered surveillance footage showing the 21-year-old killer stalking around the apartment complex with a gun.

The detectives also learned that Skare had made an anonymous call to 911, telling them that her husband, Derouen, was locked in their apartment, and she believed he was hurt. However, she made a mistake by giving the operator her own address instead of Derouen’s.

Sasha Skare had appeared in music video before Martell Derouen murder

Derouen’s separated but still friendly wife, Joia Derouen, explained that her ex-husband had met Skare when he was looking for “some girls for a video shoot.” After the shoot, he decided to maintain a relationship and “help her out” because she was interested in music.

Derouen performed under the stage name Kardone and was related to superstar Beyonce through her grandmother Agnes Derouen. Joia Derouen later told the media that he never made a big deal or bragged about his famous relative, preferring to make his own way in the world.

Skare’s defense team tried to claim that she had never wanted to harm Derouen and that she, too, had received injuries during the altercation. The prosecution said Skare had argued with her victim and deliberately lured him toward his apartment door so she could open fire. The prosecutors also argued that there was no evidence Derouen had inflicted injuries on Skare.

Sasha Skare convicted of killing rapper Martell Derouen

Skare declined a plea deal that would have seen her serve 20 years and instead opted for trial by jury. In September 2023, a jury deliberated for two hours before declaring her guilty.

She was sentenced to 55 years and is currently incarcerated at the Christina Melton Crain Unit facility in Gatesville, TX.

At the sentencing, Derouen’s sister, Kami Derouen, told the killer, “The pain and agony you brought upon my family is unbearable. Fix your sheets, if you have any, because you’ve made your bed, and now it’s time for you to lay in it.”

Snapped airs Sundays at 6/5c on Oxygen.