After
more than three years, the man accused of murdering rapper Soulja Slim has yet
to be indicted for the slaying.The
rapper’s murder is one of three first-degree murder cases prosecutors have refused
to bring against Garelle Smith. The
25-year-old was arrested but never charged in the Nov. 26, 2003 murder of Soulja
Slim.Prosecutors
originally said they dropped the murder charges against Smith because they were
strengthening their case against him. Smith
was already behind bars for a Dec. 2003 murder.Smith
avoided being charged a third time on Monday (Mar. 19) for the capital murder
of Mandell Duplessis. Duplessis, 24, was slain outside a FEMA trailer in Gentilly.The
evidence against Smith was far too thin to back up a capital murder charge, investigators
told The Times-Picayune.Soulja
Slim, born James Tapp, was shot three times in the face outside of his mothers
house, in what authorities described as a hit that Smith completed for $10,000.
The
weapon used in the killing, a .40-caliber Glock pistol, was later determined to
be a New Orleans Police Department-issued weapon, that was stolen from an officer’s
house.In
addition to Soulja Slim, Smith was accused of killing 28-year-old Spencer Smith
Jr. on Dec. 11, 2003. Smith
has yet to stand trial for another murder in Orleans Parish.
