NEW ORLEANS — Kim Kardashian West advocated for the release of Corey "C-Murder" Miller Sunday in a series of tweets that began with the hashtag #FreeCoreyMiller, announcing she'll be working to challenge the rapper's conviction in a 2002 Harvey nightclub shooting that killed a teen.
The younger brother of New Orleans rap artist Percy "Master P" Miller, Corey Miller was convicted by a non-unanimous jury.
In 2003, a Jefferson Parish jury found Miller, 49, guilty of shooting and killing 16-year-old fan Steve Thomas during a fight. He was sentenced to life in prison.
That conviction was overturned, but Miller was found guilty of second-degree murder by a second jury in a 2009 retrial.
In her tweets, Kim Kardashian West said there are several developments since Miller's conviction that make a retrial necessary for justice.
"Since his trial, witnesses have recanted, new evidence of his potential innocence has come to light, and there are claims of jurors being pressured into voting to convict," Kim said.
The Supreme Court ruled in April that non-unanimous juries verdicts were unconstitutional, and the majority opinion written by Justice Neil M. Gorsuch said Louisiana's laws were rooted in racism, making the point that Louisiana removed a unanimous jury requirement "to ensure that African-American juror service would be meaningless."
The 6-3 decision in Ramos v. Louisiana, the Supreme Court ruled that any cases decided by non-unanimous verdicts that remain under direct appeal are eligible for a new trial. The Supreme Court has not ruled on whether or not older split-jury convictions, like that of Corey Miller, should be overturned.
In July, Ronald Gasser, who was convicted in 2018 of fatally shooting former NFL player Joe McKnight after a road rage incident, got a new trial, a new judge and a new jury because of his split-jury conviction.
Cardell Hayes, the man currently serving a 25-year sentence for fatally shooting former Saints star defensive lineman Will Smith and wounding Smith’s wife Raquel, is also seeking a new trial. His attorneys filed for a new trial only two days after the Supreme Court ruling in April.
This is a developing story, and it will be updated with the latest information available. Stick with WWLTV.com for the latest news.
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