Suspect's Rap Song Hints At Connection To ECU Murder

Guns, cash, and gang signs are all associated with Christopher Lane's suspected killers. Now, a rap song shows a possible connection to at least one of the suspects in the murder.

Thursday, August 29th 2013, 7:29 pm

By: News 9


Guns, cash, and gang signs are all associated with Christopher Lane's suspected killers. Now, a rap song shows a possible connection to at least one of the suspects in the murder.

The lyrics are graphic and describe the gang culture the suspects claim to be a part of in their posts on social media. Duncan Police initially claimed 17-year-old Michael Jones, 16-year-old Chancey Luna, and 15-year-old James Edwards Jr. were influenced by rap music and often tweeted violent lyrics.  

In a post a few days before the teenagers allegedly shot and killed 22-year-old Christopher Lane. The youngest suspect, James Edwards Jr. tweeted lyrics of a Chicago rapper - specifically saying "It's time to start taken lives".

8/28/2013 Related Story: ECU Student Killed In Duncan Laid To Rest in Native Australia

Southwestern Oklahoma State University Criminologist Howard Kurtz says the music could be a possible motive in the murder.

"Music has always been extremely influential with young people," said Kurtz.

It appears James Edwards Jr. also recorded a few of his own words with another alleged gang member. The two posted the recording online two months before the killing. The songs starts with four gunshots, and the teenagers rap "Shout out to my set."

At one point, the song talks about a man with an ammunition clip demanding respect. Kurtz says this is a common theme among rappers.

8/27/2013 Related Story: Judge Issues Gag Order In Case Of Australia-Native's Killing

"Young people don't see that they can get respect through normal channels and if they don't get it through normal means they are going to get it in another way. And this music just taps right into that," Kurtz said.

Perhaps more telling, Kurtz says, is part of the song where the rappers appear to brag saying, "They thought them country n****** was playing ‘til them country n****** start sprayin', Now everybody in the ‘hood got it right and understand."

The lyrics are followed by more gunshots, a sound unnerving to the Duncan community after the murder on August 16.

Although, only one of the suspects recorded the song, all of them allegedly claim to be a part of the gang the song glorifies. Kurtz says it's a gang authorities should not consider to be ‘wannabes'.

"It's time that the communities step up and realize that they can't allow these kinds of organizations and certainly anything that glorifies these organizations to go unpunished."     

Attorneys for the suspects are not allowed to give us a comment on this story because a judge issued a gag order earlier this week.

8/20/2013 Related Story: Suspects Arraigned On Murder Charges In Australian Athlete's Death

8/19/2013 Related Story: Police: ECU Baseball Player, Australian Native Target Of Random Killing

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