UPDATE, FEB. 14, 4 A.M.: On CBS 2 News at 11 after the Grammy broadcast last night, KCBS featured a report on the newly hot Wallace murder. Former LAPD robbery/homicide detective Russell Poole claims he has a jailhouse source implicating David Mack (who, according to court documents, possessed weapons and silencers at the time of his arrest) and partner Rafael Perez on the night of the murder. Neither match the description of the shooter, but both were apparently working security for Death Row at the time. Poole and Wallace family attorney Bradley Gage want the LAPD to release more info, but the agency has declined to comment on the ongoing investigation.
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ORIGINAL ITEM, JAN. 10, 10:30 A.M.: In a surprising turn of events, the LAPD is revisiting the 1997 murder of Christopher Wallace, a.k.a. Notorious B.I.G./Biggie Smalls. CNN reports that the case was recently “reinvigorated,” and a law-enforcement official claims authorities are tracking down new (or newly interesting) leads. Many still believe Death Row Records chief Marion “Suge” Knight and rogue LAPD officer David Mack (later convicted of bank robbery) were somehow involved in the slaying, but no evidence strong enough for indictment has been released.
Complicating matters is the Wallace family's wrongful-death suit against the LAPD. In it, they claim the department covered up crucial information about the crime during the original investigation. However, Bernard Parks, former LA police chief and current LA City Council member, denies these allegations, calling them “absurd.” The case remains shrouded in mystery and conjecture, but it is almost certain there was some type of conspiracy that extended beyond the individuals in the shooter's car. Hopefully, the killer or killers will be apprehended, and the Wallace family may yet see justice.
Below, watch actual footage of the scene of the shooting, which occurred outside Petersen Automotive Museum in LA. Warning: contains graphic images and language.
