With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today during our fall member drive.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Suge Knight Says Dr. Dre Wrote $20,000 Check To Hitman For His Murder
Suge Knight in court with his attorney. He is currently facing charges of murder and attempted murder. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
()
Marion 'Suge' Knight, former Death Row Records mogul, has claimed in a court filing that Dr. Dre paid $20,000 to have him killed.
Knight is currently in jail standing trial on murder and attempted murder charges after running over two men at a Compton burger stand in January 2015. Recent court filings include a declaration from Knight in which he claims to have been shown a $20,000 check with Dr. Dre's name on it; Knight believes the check was payment for his murder, and says it demonstrates he was acting out of self-defense during the 2015 incident.
The L.A. Times reports that Knight claims a private investigator showed him the check during a jailhouse visit in 2016, and that it was dated November 16, 2014, a couple months before Knight ran over the two men in Compton.
Knight says in the filing that he saw one of the supposed hitmen (whose name was on the alleged check) at the burger stand that night. "This check tends to show that at least one of the individuals present at the scene ... had been paid a substantial amount of money to participate in my murder," he wrote in his declaration. The Times points out this private investigator is no longer working on his case. Knight does not have a copy of the check, and the investigator also claims the check does not exist.
Support for LAist comes from
Dr. Dre's attorney argued that his client's banking history was private and irrelevant to the case. L.A. County Superior Court Judge Ronald S. Coen agreed with him, denying a subpoena for Dr. Dre's banking records.
This is not the first time Knight has accused Dr. Dre of trying to have him killed. In October 2016, Knight filed a lawsuit against Dr. Dre for $300 million on claims that the producer had put multiple hits on him, and he previously accused Dr. Dre of collaborating with the Sheriff's Department to have him killed.
Besides standing trial for the murder and attempted murder charges in Compton, Knight was recently indicted for making death threats against Straight Outta Compton director F. Gary Gray. Knight's murder trial was originally set to begin in January 2018, but has been pushed to April 9, 2018, according to the L.A. Times.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
A tort claim obtained by LAist via a public records request alleges the Anaheim procurement department lacks basic contracting procedures and oversight. -
Flauta, taquito, tacos dorados? Whatever they’re called, they’re golden, crispy and delicious. -
If California redistricts, the conservative beach town that banned LGBTQ Pride flags on city property would get a gay, progressive Democrat in Congress. -
Most survivors of January's fires face a massive gap in the money they need to rebuild, and funding to help is moving too slowly or nonexistent. -
Kevin Lacy has an obsession with documenting California’s forgotten and decaying places. -
Restaurants share resources in the food hall in West Adams as Los Angeles reckons with increasing restaurant closures.
Best of LAist