Incarcerated rapper Lil Boosie can finally breathe a huge sigh of relief as he has been found not guilty of a murder dating back nearly three years.
Details of the not guilty verdict became public knowledge this afternoon.
Baton Rouge rapper Lil Boosie, whose real name is Torence Hatch, has been found not guilty of murder. The jury deliberated for about an hour. Supporters cheered outside the 19th Judicial Courthouse in Baton Rouge once the verdict was announced. Hatch and his defense team hugged and began crying once the verdict was read. (KSLA News)
Shortly after the announcement, Boosie’s mother gave her excited reaction.
Supporters cheered outside the 19th Judicial Courthouse in Baton Rouge once the verdict was announced. Hatch and his defense team hugged and began crying once the verdict was read. “All I can do is give the glory to God because I knew he was never guilty,” said Connie Hatch, the rapper’s mother. “He’s crying and he knew from the beginning he was never guilty.” “This man has been innocent,” said defense attorney Jason Williams. “He’s been innocent this whole time. Fans across the whole world have been praying for this. And, I thank God that justice was swift. I thank God that the truth came out.” (WAFB News)
During the trial, prosecutors played Boosie’s music to try and connect him to a 2009 murder.
The jury in Baton Rouge rapper Torence “Lil Boosie” Hatch’s first-degree murder trial listened intently Wednesday to violence- and expletive-laden lyrics that prosecutors say Hatch recorded in his home just before and immediately after Terry Boyd was shot to death in 2009. Hatch’s attorneys noted after court that Boyd’s name is not mentioned in the lyrics and said the music has nothing to do with the crime. Hatch, 29, is accused of paying Michael “Marlo Mike” Louding to kill Boyd, who was fatally shot inside a Vermillion Drive home at 12:42 a.m. on Oct. 21, 2009. (The Advocate)
Despite the tactic, Boosie’s music ultimately did not get him convicted.
A defense attorney for the rapper known as “Lil Boosie,” who is on trial for a murder charge, says violent imagery and lyrics in music are not evidence of a crime. During closing arguments Friday, defense attorney Jason Williams said the prosecution of the rapper, whose real name is Torence Hatch, was influenced by the nature of his music. Williams says the violent imagery is part of a branding effort meant to sell records. (WAFB News)
