After years of speculation about Marion “Suge” Knight‘s involvement in the Notorious B.I.G.‘s murder, the Death Row Records label head may be called to testify at B.I.G.‘s wrongful death trial, according to an Associated Press report.
The suit is against the Los Angeles Police Department brought by the family of the deceased Brooklyn MC. According to the report, US District Court Judge Florence Marie Cooper will allow Knight to be added to a list of defendants—which also includes current and former LAPD officers—based on new evidence.
Knight maintains his innocence.
The Notorious B.I.G. was shot and killed March 9, 1997 after attending awards show after party at Los Angeles’ Petersen Automotive Museum. While leaving, his caravan was cut off in an apparent ambush and Biggie suffered four gun shot wounds to the chest. He was rushed to Cedar-Sinai Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.
AD LOADING...
Since his death more than a decade ago, a number of theories have surfaced. Some say Biggie was killed by gang members in retaliation for non payment of security services for his record label, Bad Boy. Others—including author Russell Sullivan and former LAPD Detective Russell Poole—say Suge Knight conspired with several LAPD officers to have Big murdered. The evidence is chronicled in LAbyrinth, released in 2002.
The release of that evidence resulted in a 2005 wrongful death lawsuit brought by the family against the LAPD. Big’s relatives contend—based on Poole’s findings—that the LAPD had sufficient evidence to arrest a suspect in the 1997 murder and failed to do so.
That trial ended in a mistrial, after the judge concluded that the LAPD withheld evidence.
The murder of The Notorious B.I.G. remains unsolved. Stay tuned to DX for new developments in this case.
