Suge Knight Sentenced To 28 Years In Prison For Voluntary Manslaughter

The former rap mogul Suge Knight is infamous for being in the car with Tupac Shakur when the iconic rapper was gunned down in a drive-by shooting in 1996.

October 05, 2018
Marion “Suge” Knight mug shot [Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department]

Marion “Suge” Knight mug shot [Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department]

Marion “Suge” Knight mug shot [Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department]

By: Aaron Rasmussen

Related To:

LOS ANGELES, CA — A judge sentenced Death Row Records cofounder Marion “Suge” Knight to 28 years in prison on October 4 for fatally running over a man and maiming another before fleeing the scene — in an incident caught on camera.

In 2015, Knight was working on Straight Outta Compton, a film about the rap group NWA, when he drove a red pickup truck into the parking lot of Tam’s Burgers, which was located not far from the set in Compton. A surveillance video showed Cle “Bone” Sloan, a consultant on the biopic, approach Knight. The former hip-hop legend remained in his vehicle, and the two exchanged words, reportedly over issues Knight, 53, had with the production.

Suddenly, Knight threw the truck into reverse, knocking Sloan, 49, to the ground. He then shot forward, running over Sloan before striking 55-year-old businessman Terry Carter, who later died of his injuries. Knight claimed he was acting in self-defense.

"He never got out of the car to see if my uncle was okay,” Carter’s niece told the court at Knight’s sentencing. “This has to be in my family forever. Nothing will be the same. Not even an apology, condolences have been made to my family.”

Lillian Carter wrote a letter to Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Ronald S. Coen and described the frustration she felt knowing her late spouse’s legacy as a leader in the community and other accomplishments have all but been erased.

“What you do see is the defendant killing my husband,” she wrote of putting Carter’s name into online search engines, and finding the incriminating video. “He was so much more than the guy who the defendant killed with his truck. He was my husband, my best friend, my provider."

“I will never witness Terry smiling at me again,” Carter’s widow added. “All interactions with Terry ended on Jan. 29, 2015. All we have is memories.”

Knight, in jail since the incident, faced charges of murder, attempted murder, and hit-and-run. However, on September 20, he accepted a last-minute plea deal of no contest to voluntary manslaughter in Carter’s death, a decision that helped him avoid a lengthy murder trial and a potential life sentence.

The disgraced former rap mogul, who's also infamous for being in the car with Tupac Shakur when the iconic rapper was gunned down in a Las Vegas drive-by shooting in 1996, is credited with producing the albums of hip-hop's most famous figures, including Snoop Dog and Dr. Dre.

Read more: CNN, NBC News

Next Up

'Golden State Killer' Joseph James DeAngelo Pleads Guilty To 13 Murders

“I destroyed all their lives. So now I’ve got to pay the price,” he reportedly has said.

How ‘Serial, Psychosexual, Thrill Killer’ Michael Gargiulo Got Caught

The convicted murderer, dubbed the “Hollywood Ripper”, “watched and waited” for the opportunity to stab his female neighbors, prosecutors say.

Prolific Serial Killer Nurse Charles Cullen May Have Killed As Many As 400 Patients

The murderer’s 16-year medical career in New Jersey and Pennsylvania ended after he was arrested in 2003.

UPDATE: Suspected Stockton Serial Killer Arrested

Since April 2021, six men were fatally shot and one woman was shot and wounded in central California.

'Happy Face Killer': How Keith Jesperson’s Daughter Discovered His Deadly Secret

“There was just something ‘off’ about him,” Melissa Moore says of the serial killer.

Man Accused Of Murdering Grad Student In L.A. Furniture Store Indicted On New Charges

In January 2022, Shawn Laval Smith allegedly attacked 24-year-old Brianna Kupfer after he entered the business where she was working alone, police say.

How Elusive Serial Killer Ted Kaczynski Was Unmasked As The Unabomber

The self-professed anarchist was captured in 1996 hiding out in a primitive Montana cabin.

Jeffrey Dahmer's Murderer Explains Why He Killed The 'Milwaukee Cannibal'

Christopher Scarver, who is serving time for killing his boss during a robbery, insists that Jeffrey Dahmer did not feel any remorse for his crimes.

‘The Scorecard Killer’: Southern California Man May Have Murdered As Many As 67 Victims

Randy Steven Kraft was caught after police pulled him over with a dead Marine in his front passenger-side seat.

The Senseless Killing Of UCLA Student Andrea DelVesco

The UCLA psychology student was brutally murdered in her apartment in September 2015.