Former No Limit Records rapper C-Murder was recently dealt another setback in his quest for freedom.
On Wednesday, Nov. 29, District Judge Sarah Vance upheld the 2002 life sentence given to the rapper born Corey Miller who was convicted of first-degree murder in the shooting death of 16-year-old Steven Thomas in a Louisiana nightclub.
C-Murder’s legal team had hoped for a different outcome as two of the initial trial’s key eye witnesses have since recanted their testimony to effectively leave the prosecution with no direct evidence to connect Miller to the crime.
Miller’s case has caught the attention of a number prison reform advocates, including Kim Kardashian, who used X, formerly Twitter, early this year to raise awareness of the fight to get him a new trial.
“There is no remaining evidence that even suggests that Corey Miller is any more culpable than the hundreds of patrons who were at the Platinum Club on Jan. 12, 2002, when Steve Thomas was tragically shot,” Kardashian wrote. “Rather than search for the real perpetrator of the crime, the local sheriff’s office zeroed in on proving a case against Mr. Miller. The lead detective harassed multiple witnesses and mishandled the case to such a degree that the trial court had no choice but to grant Mr. Miller a new trial after he was convicted in 2003.”
Another advocate on Miller’s behalf is former No Limit labelmate, Mac.
Mac, who had a similar battle with the Louisiana Board of Pardons and Committee on Parole, was granted his freedom in 2021 after serving more than 20 years for a murder conviction that was eventually overturned.
Just a day after accepting a proclamation from the city of New Orleans for his contributions to the city’s culture, Mac turned to social media to give thanks for the honor and to express his dismay about Judge Vance’s decision.
“It was a bittersweet feeling because yesterday I also learned that a dear friend of mine, C-Murder, conviction was upheld by the federal court,” Mac wrote. “What that means is basically he’s going to keep fighting, y’know what I mean?
“It doesn’t mean it’s the end. Trust me, it’s not the end; it just means it’s one more hurdle he have to get over, and I know he’s going to continue to fight.”
