N.O. rapper C-Murder seeks new trial after star witness recants story
2nd July 2018 · 0 Comments
New Orleans rapper Corey “C-Murder” Miller, the younger brother of No Limit Entertainment founder Percy “Master P” Miller, is seeking to have his murder conviction vacated after a key witness admitted Tuesday that he lied about the rapper’s involvement in the 2002 murder of 16-year-old Steven Thomas.
Miller was convicted in his 2009 retrial of second-degree murder and sentenced to life.
Kenneth Jordan, 35, on Tuesday submitted an affidavit recanting his testimony in Miller’s second-degree murder trial, Nola.com/The Times-Picayune reported Wednesday.
“I know that the individual who I saw shoot the gun was not Corey Miller,” Jordan said in an affidavit filed in 24th Judicial District Court records.
Both Jordan and Miller are being represented by attorney Paul Baker, who accused Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office detectives and prosecutors of knowingly forcing Jordan to make false statements by threatening him with criminal charges in an unrelated case.
“He was really their star witness at the second trial,” Baker told Nola.com/The Times-Picayune. “Without him, they don’t get a conviction.”
Baker filed a memorandum seeking a new trial for Miller on Tuesday.
Since a jury voted 10-2 to convict him of second-degree murder on August 11, 2009, Miller has been has been serving a life sentence at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola.
Steven Thomas was shot and killed inside the now-closed Platinum Club in Harvey, La. on the night of January 12, 2002.
Six days later, JPSO detectives arrested Miller and booked him with Thomas’ murder.
Jordan said in last week’s affidavit that he was arrested on Jan. 20, 2003 in connection with the death of his newborn daughter.
While the newborn’s 16-year-old mother was convicted of manslaughter in the case, JPSO detectives reportedly told Jordan that he was looking at a possible felony carnal knowledge charge with a 10-year sentence.
Jordan said in the affidavit that he was told he might receive some leniency if he cooperated with authorities and identified Miller as the perpetrator in Thomas’ death.
“I was distraught and scared,” Jordan recalled, explaining that he felt pressured to identify Miller as the assailant.
Baker told Nola.com/The Times-Picayune that after he identified Miller as the killer, Jordan was never arrested or charged with carnal knowledge.
Jordan also wasn’t called to testify in Miller’s 2003 trial, during which he was unanimously convicted of second-degree murder. However, a judge threw out the conviction, ruling that Jefferson Parish prosecutors had withheld information about witnesses in the case.
Authorities reportedly tracked down Jordan in Atlanta about two weeks before the 2009 retrial and took him into custody on a material witness bond.
Jordan said in last week’s affidavit that he told authorities in 2009 that his 2003 statement wasn’t true.
Baker said Jefferson Parish detectives and prosecutors still forced Jordan to testify, telling Jordan that his statement was “already in black and white.”
Jordan took the witness stand on Aug. 6, 2009 and identified Miller as the perpetrator who stood over the teen and shot him to death.
Another witness, club bouncer Darnell Jordan, reportedly identified Miller as the killer but said he did not see a gun in the rapper’s hand. He did , however, tell the jury that he saw a muzzle flash at the end of Miller’s arm , which was pointed at Thomas as he lay on the ground.
According to Nola.com/The Times-Picayune, the two Jordans are not related.
The two witnesses appeared on an episode of the Investigation Discovery true-crime show “Reasonable Doubt” that aired Wednesday night, June 28.
Baker told Nola.com/The Times-Picayune that he had been trying unsuccessfully to locate Kenneth Jordan but the “Reasonable Doubt” producers had found him in the New Orleans area.
Baker, who took on Miller’s case in December, said Jordan said he had been living with 10 years of gultt about his false testimony in Miller’s case and was ready to tell the truth.
Baker said he hopes that this evidence will convince the presiding judge to order a hearing on the matter.
“He was elated,” Baker said of his client, who has always maintained his innocence in the case.
The news comes two years after it was rumored that President Barack Obama might pardon Miller.
Despite that pardon never coming to fruition and the Louisiana Supreme Court’s 2016 denial of an appeal, Miller continues to hold out hope of being granted a new trial.
“[T]his is a huge start,” Baker said.
This article originally published in the July 2, 2018 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.
