Snoop Dogg's 1993 Murder Charge Sealed 28 Years After Acquittal

 

American rapper Snoop Dogg has successfully petitioned to seal his 1993 murder charge, 28 years after being acquitted of the crime. The 52-year-old rapper, along with his bodyguard McKinley Lee, was accused of the shooting and murder of gang member Philip Woldemariam in Los Angeles' Palms' Woodbine Park in August 1993. They were both charged with first and second-degree murder in a highly publicized trial in 1996.

Snoop, born Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr., filed a request in January 2024 to have the case records sealed. The court granted his petition in February, as confirmed by legal documents obtained by TMZ. This means that the record of the charge will no longer be accessible to the public, and it will not appear in background checks for employment, housing, or educational purposes.

At the time of the incident, prosecutors accused Snoop of driving the car from which the fatal shot was fired by his bodyguard. Despite the charges, Snoop was controversially allowed to tour the UK, drawing tabloid criticism. The rapper later claimed that the late Queen Elizabeth II intervened on his behalf, allowing him to stay in the country.

During the trial, Snoop and his bodyguard were acquitted of both the murder charges and a conspiracy to commit assault charge. Snoop, who had been free on a $1 million bail throughout the case, expressed relief after the acquittal, telling the LA Times: "They made the right decision. This has been an ordeal that has affected our lives for the past 2 1/2 years. I was just trying to figure out if I was going to be here to raise my son."

Since his acquittal, Snoop Dogg has continued to enjoy mainstream success, releasing multiple hit albums. He is a father to four children—Cordé, 29, Cordell, 27, Cori, 25, and Julian, 26—from his marriage to Shante Broadus and a previous relationship with Laurie Holmond.