Rapper C-Murder convicted of second-degree murder in Louisiana

Jet, Oct 20, 2003

Hip-hop performer C-Murder recently was sentenced to life in prison after he was convicted of second-degree murder in the nightclub shooting of a teenager in Louisiana.

Steve Thomas, 16, was beaten and fatally shot last year on January 12 during a fight outside the Platinum Club in Harvey, LA. The conviction resulted in an automatic life sentence.

Female relatives of C-Murder, whose real name is Corey Miller, began crying and were escorted out of the courtroom by police. Miller's father, Percy Miller Sr., said the family would appeal. "My son didn't do that, he said.

Assistant District Attorney Douglas W. Freese said he was satisfied with the verdict.

Jurors were told before they began deliberations that they could find Miller, 30, innocent of second-degree murder, but guilty of manslaughter in Thomas' death.

Two prosecution witnesses testified that Miller beat and shot Thomas. Nine defense witnesses said that the had nothing to do with the killing, but gave different descriptions of his clothes and of his whereabouts within the club.

Ronald J. Rokosky, the defense attorney, argued that investigators botched the case, finding only two witnesses who could identify Miller as the gunman out of 150 people in the club.

C-Murder, who was once engaged to singer Monica, is the brother of hip-hop music mogul Master P (Percy Miller Jr.) and the uncle of teen rap star Lil' Romeo.

He once told JET that he used the stage name of C-Murder because he had been through a lot and had seen a lot in the streets. As a result, he was given the name "see murder," but changed it to C-Murder because of the initial C in his first name (JET, May 18, 1998).