Incarcerated rapper
C-Murder, who was convicted three years ago of second-degree murder, has filed
a request with the Louisiana Supreme Court for a new trial.
The No Limit rapper,
born Corey Miller, was found guilty on Sept. 30, 2003 of killing 16-year-old
Steve Thomas. The verdict carries a mandatory life sentence in prison.
Thomas died Jan.
12, 2002 during an alleged fight with C-Murder at the Platinum Club, a currently-closed
local night spot.
C-Murder, the younger
brother of Percy "Master P" Miller, pled not guilty and maintained
his innocence throughout the trial. The rapper appealed the decision and in
2004, Judge Martha Sassone ordered a new trial.
Judge Sassone ruled
that the prosecution withheld evidence from the defense, after it was revealed
that some of the prosecution’s witnesses had prior criminal records that were
expunged by the District Attorney in return for testimony against C-Murder.
The rapper’s lawyers
also argued that black jurors were systematically excluded from the case.
That ruling was
appealed and in March of 2005, two of the three judges on the 5th Circuit Court
of Appeal disagreed with Sassone’s ruling. The judges refused to grant C-Murder
a new trial and upheld the original conviction.
C-Murder made national
headlines while in prison, after he outraged Louisiana officials by recording
an album and shooting a video for his single "Y’all Heard of Me,"
from behind bars.
