BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) – A forensic IT specialist was called to the stand Wednesday morning in the murder trial of Baton Rouge rapper Lil Boosie, whose real name is Torence Hatch.
Constantino Dimitirelos examined hard drives taken from computers belonging to Hatch. He says two pictures were found on the computer. One of Michael “Marlo Mike” Louding getting a tattoo of an AK-47 with “Yo Boosie, Who’s Next” around it, at Hatch’s home at 10:35 p.m. on November 4, 2009. He says he also found a picture of Adrian Pittman getting an AK-47 on his back with the words “Who’s Next” around it, on the same night. That’s after the October 21, 2009 murder of Terry Boyd.
Prosecutors also asked the computer forensic specialist to look at songs and lyrics that were created around the time of the murder. The expert testified he found several lyrics created October 20 and 21 of 2009.
The lyrics to a song called “187” were played for jurors. Dimitirelos says the lyrics were recorded between 11:24 and 11:54 on the night of October 20. Some of those lyrics: Yo Marlo, he drive a Monte Carlo. That (expletive) gray, I want him dead today. Here go the cake.
At 12:50, the lyrics to “Bodybag” were recorded. Ten days after the Boyd murder, the song “Somebody in Trouble” were recorded on November 2, 2009. Those lyrics were also played for the jurors. Some of those lyrics: I got some killers on payroll and they know, when it’s time to handle business (expletive) better lay low.
A song titled “Lime Life” was also played. It was recorded May 21, 2009. Some of those lyrics say: If you don’t squeeze your trigga that reaper come and get you….ain’t no love in my body, Marlo Mike up in the backseat begging for a body.
Defense attorneys says the prosecution tried to paint Hatch in a negative light. They say none of those songs have anything to do with the Boyd homicide. They say those lyrics are from a mixtape that Hatch recorded with several other artists. And at times, they say, the lyrics Hatch used were lyrics he resampled from songs that were already out.
“This is a man who was making music, spending time and energy to develop a persona to sell records. Same way NWA did, same way Public Enemy does. Same way Johnny Cash did,” said Jason Williams, one of Hatch’s attorneys.
The forensic expert also looked at a cell phone that prosecutors say belonged to Louding. They say that night that can trace his movements based on the GPS tracker on the phone. They say his phone made several calls. Dimitirelos says they cannot tell who was on the phone or what was said, but they do know it was in the vicinity of the murder scene before moving back to Hatch’s home. When asked by defense lawyers if any of the calls made from that phone ever called any of the numbers used by Hatch, Dimitirelos answered, “No.”
The testimony of Dimitirelos followed up a day in which several police officers testified.
Detective Charles Johnson told the jury Tuesday that Hatch was not a suspect in the murder of Terry Boyd until suspected triggerman Michael Louding, known as “Marlo Mike,” brought up the rapper’s name during questioning.
Louding said Hatch was not involved in the murder when he testified Monday.
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