BATON ROUGE – Jurors found Torrence Hatch, the rapper known as Lil Boosie, not guilty of first-degree murder charges today.

Jurors began deliberations at 2:30 p.m. Friday after nearly a week of testimony, all from witnesses for the prosecution. Hatch’s defense rested without calling a witness, saying they didn’t feel the prosecution proved their case.

Police accused Hatch of first-degree murder for hiring Michael “Marlo Mike” Louding to kill Terry Boyd in 2009. Prosecutors argued Louding’s cell phone records and taped confession to police proved Hatch hired him to kill Boyd. Defense attorneys argued Louding lied to police about the plot after hours of interrogation, and Hatch never had a reason to kill Boyd.

Hatch is already serving an eight-year sentence for a separate drug conviction.

Source

Atlanta rapper Young Vito, whose real name is Vinson Hardimon, is a suspect in the slaying of Atlanta rapper Slim Dunkin, whose real name is Mario Hamilton and was killed Dec. 16 after being gunned down at a southeast Atlanta recording studio.

 

Atlanta police on Thursday said they have identified a suspect in the slaying of rapper Slim Dunkin, and he was urged to turn himself in for his own safety.

The suspect was identified as another local rapper, 28-year-old Young Vito, whose real name is Vinson Hardimon, according to a police release.

“We are urging Mr. Hardimon to turn himself in to authorities because we have reason to believe he may be in danger,” the release said.

Slim Dunkin, whose real name is Mario Hamilton, was killed Dec. 16 after being gunned down at a southeast Atlanta recording studio.

A Twitter posting earlier this year identified Young Vito as an “east Atlanta Zone 6 … street legend turned rapper” who was about to “embark on capitalizing the rap, fashion, & movie industry.”

Police are seeking the public’s help in finding Young Vito and said calls can be made to Atlanta Crimestoppers at 404-577-TIPS (8477) or contact the Atlanta Police Department’s homicide unit at 404-546-4235.

The development in the investigation came as fellow rappers Waka Flocka Flame and Gucci Mane made plans to go all out Friday for Slim Dunkin’s funeral, according to TMZ.

The funeral is 11 a.m. at Berean Christian Church in Stone Mountain. Burial will follow at Hillandale Memorial Gardens in Lithonia. Willie A. Watkins Funeral Home, which is in charge of arrangements, said a wake was held Thursday at its chapel on Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard in Atlanta.

The funeral home said two limos will deliver Slim Dunkin’s family to the church Friday. According to TMZ, the funeral will be elaborate with a “white horse-drawn carriage, massive white floral arrangements, and a white dove release ceremony.”

Waka Flocka Flame and Gucci Mane will pick up the lion’s share of the expenses, TMZ said, with Slim Dunkin’s family paying for the rest of the send-off.

Slim Dunkin was a childhood friend of Waka Flocka Flame’s and appeared on Gucci Mane and Waka’s “Ferrari Boyz” album released over the summer.

Witnesses told police Slim Dunkin, 24, got into an argument before a video shoot at a studio on Memorial Drive about 5:30 p.m. last Friday. The person he was arguing with pulled out a pistol and shot Hamilton in the chest, witnesses told police. Hamilton was pronounced dead at Grady Memorial Hospital.

According to the web site MixHood.com, Slim Dunkin was at the Memorial Drive studio to attend a recording session with Gucci Mane and another rap artist, V-Nasty, for a “Push Ups” video when he was killed. – Access Atlanta

ATLANTA —

Police say rapper Slim Dunkin, 24, whose real name is Mario Hamilton, died Friday night after being shot at an Atlanta recording studio.

The shooting happened along Memorial drive in southeast Atlanta.

Investigators said Hamilton was shooting a music video at the studio when something went wrong.

“Now it’s my understanding prior to the video shoot, Mr. Hamilton became involved in a verbal altercation with another individual who we believe produced a handgun, discharged that weapon at least one time, striking Mr. Hamilton in the chest,” Maj. Keith Meadows with the Atlanta Police Department said.

Police said they have questioned about 8 people who were at the studio at the time of the shooting.

Investigators are still trying to figure out what triggered the argument and who the shooter is, along with what the relationship was between the shooter and Slim Dunkin.

Hamilton was rushed to Grady Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

“I would say he’s a star before he became a star. He started rapping a couple of ago and basically his career has just went to the top. Literally, in just a short amount of time,” said close friend Covergirl. “He was dedicated to it and I just talked to him, I saw him today. But I actually just talked to him the other day, one of the things he told me was he probably was going to make it the top. So, I can’t believe this happened today. I feel like one of our greatest got his life ended, definitely short, way before his time. And I just can’t believe it.”

Hamilton was a close affiliate with Atlanta based rapper Waka Flaka Flame.

Atlanta police continue to investigate. – WSBTV2

Stay tuned to MixHood.com as the story develops.

Rapper Gucci Mane has been arrested again.

This time he is charged with driving on the wrong side of the road, running a red light or stop sign, damage to government property, obstruction, no license, no proof of insurance and other traffic charges, according to APD spokesman Curtis Davenport.
Officers who arrested Mane, who is also known as Radric Davis, Tuesday had to use pepper spray to subdue him after he wouldn’t stop fighting with an unnamed person. He was taken first to Grady Memorial Hospital to be checked before being transported to the Fulton County Jail.
The incident happened around 11:30 a.m., police said.
An off-duty police officer saw a white Hummer driving recklessly while traveling south on Northside Drive. Additional police units were notified — and officers eventually found the Hummer parked at a business in the 1100 block of Northside Drive, police said.
Besides finding the Hummer, they saw two people in a verbal dispute, police said.
Officers tried to break up the fight, but Mane hit the other person, who police did not name. Police then used pepper spray to subdue him.
Mane’s arrest comes just a few months after he was he was released from the Fulton County Jail for violating his parole. Records show he has been in the Fulton County Jail at least five times since 2005 on drug, aggravated assault or aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charges.
When he walked out of the jail during the early morning hours on May 12, Mane told reporters, “I have made some mistakes in my life that have hurt a lot of people who care about me.
“I have worked very hard to get past them, but those mistakes have brought me to where I am today, and they will not be repeated. These past six months have been a difficult time, but fortunately I have learned a great deal from my experience. I was able to do a great deal of soul searching; I am coming out with a new attitude towards life.”
While he was in jail, he missed the release of his album, “The State vs. Radric Davis,” which featured Keyshia Cole, Lil Wayne, Soulja Boy, Keri Hilson and Usher.
Mane bemoaned that he had missed “what should have been one of the proudest moments in my life. This is something that I will make sure never happens again. My time in jail was trying, but I grew from it and am now a stronger and better person. I want to continue on a positive track and truly focus on being a role model to my fans and my community.” – Access Atlanta