Opening statements began Saturday in the first-degree murder trial of rapper Lil Boosie, whose real name is Torence Hatch.
Lead prosecutor, Assistant District Attorney Dana Cummings, told jurors that Michael “Marlo Mike” Louding was “the key” to six different murders in Baton Rouge, including the Oct. 21, 2009 murder of Terry Boyd, in which Louding said that Hatch paid him $2800 to commit.
Cummings said that Hatch wanted Boyd dead because of a letter shown to Hatch in which Boyd said that he was going to “jack” and “slap” Hatch once he got out of prison. She said that Hatch told Louding, “You gotta take care of that.” She said that on the night of the murder Louding was at Hatch’s studio, left to shoot and kill Boyd and returned the same night.
Cummings also added that Hatch and Louding both got similar gun-inspired tattoos two weeks after the homicide. She feels that these tattoos further prove Hatch’s guilt.
According to Martin Regan and Jason Williams, Hatch’s attorneys, these claims are far from the truth. “One key doesn’t open all doors,” Williams said.
There is absolutely no physical or scientific evidence to prove that Hatch paid to have Boyd murdered and prosecutors are relying on the testimony of a mentally incompetent witness and the irrelevant lyrics of a few of his Hatch’s songs as the foundation of their case against the rapper, said the attorneys.
“[Louding] has recanted over and over again. He’s recanted and said that he gave that statement because he was scared and wanted to get out of trouble himself,” said Williams, who also said that Louding admitted to doctors of hearing voices in his head that tell him to hurt people.
“In an effort to get out of jail, he said that ‘Oh, well Torence made me do it.’ So it’s almost like a Flip Wilson theory: ‘the devil made me do it.’ Blame it on somebody else,” Williams said.
He also said that Louding’s testimony was “untruthful and inconsistent” for several reasons. “There was no consistent information that he could provide about when he was told to do it, why he was told to do it, what he was paid. Nothing else adds up,” said Williams about Louding, who he said was in special education while he was in school and has a mother addicted to drugs.
Williams said that Louding is “very impressionable” and that the East Baton Rouge Sheriff Office could easily “mold and get what they wanted from him.” Regan said that a deputy sheriff recently testified to the fact that he spent a great deal of time talking to Louding in which he repeatedly denied the whole thing. That conversation was not recorded, said Regan.
“And you can tell from some of the terminology he was using that it was scripted information coming from the sheriff’s department rather than just spontaneous information coming from a caught perpetrator,” Williams added.
He said that another element of Cumming’s theory that did not add up is the motive. He said that the letter in question does not exist. He also said that Boyd’s sister and Hatch have a child together and there is no evidence that Hatch had any ill will towards Boyd.
Lyrics
Cummings said that the songs “187” and “Body Bag” were recorded precisely during and right after the murders and the lyrics are so specific in that they prove that Hatch sent Louding to kill Boyd. “The timing is critical,” she said. She also told jurors, “Do not dismiss lyrics in this case because they’re important.” State District Judge Mike Erwin agreed to allow these songs to be used as evidence because of Cumming’s theory.
Regan and Williams said that the use of lyrics to imply guilt in this case is simply ridiculous. Also the music made the night of the murder was sampled from music made by Hatch prior to that night. They said that just because Hatch raps about guns and violence in no way makes him a murderer. “If that’s the case Al Pacino was a cocaine murderer from the movie Scarface; Johnny Cash is a murderer,” Regan said.
“It is First Amendment and it is artistic expression and the judge initially was leaning that way, but he stated and is alleging that the lyrics are so specific that they should come in, although when you read them and look at the facts of this case they don’t add up,” Williams added.
Williams stated that Hatch’s lyrics would not be on the table if he were living in a larger city.
“A major city is going to look at a rap artist like a Picasso, like a Scarface movie. They’re going to recognize it as art and put it in that category. In Baton Rouge, they are putting him in the gangster category. They are putting him in the label of those particular genres.”
Lil Boosie vs. Law Enforcement
Williams stated that local law enforcement agencies, such as East Baton Rouge Police Department, East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office and the District Attorney’s Office have had a problem with Hatch for a while now. “Mr. Hatch has been harassed for years and years by the same law enforcement agency prior to any charges being brought,” he said.
“They don’t like rap music,” Regan added.
Williams said that Hatch lives in an affluent neighborhood and played a lot of loud music and had numerous people coming and going during his recording sessions. He compared how he is with his fans to Bob Marley. “Anyone that wanted to come and watch him record could come,” he said. Williams added that this is what led to Hatch’s neighbors complaining and asking law enforcement to “crack down” on him.
“Ms. Connie”
Hatch’s mother, Connie Hatch, said that she is being as strong as possible right now. “I just believe in God. I just believe that he’s going to bring him out. That’s my belief. That’s my faith,” she said.
She also said that her son is being as strong as he can as well. She said that he is not one of those people who go to jail and find God, but “Torence had that background and foundation when he was small.”
She added that community leaders, both local and national, have been unsupportive in this situation. “Where are the leaders here in America?” she asked. On the other hand she said that rappers Yo Gotti and Young Jeezy have really helped out in the whole ordeal.
She feels like her son is being judged because he is a rapper and more people should see the artistic side of his craft. “A rapper writes poetry and they put it to music,” she said.
She said that her son is now in West Baton Rouge Parish and cannot receive or send out any letters or telephone calls.
She calls herself a “prayer warrior” and even said that she has no hard feelings against District Attorney Hillar Moore. “I don’t hold anything in my heart, not even against the D.A. today,” she said.
Regan and Williams say that this case is more about Hatch’s professional career and image than anything else. “He sort of put himself in the bull’s eye of the Conservative Baton Rouge community, and this is where it has ended up,” Williams said.
