Lawyers for rapper Corey "C-Murder" Miller said in closing arguments Monday that testimony by two prosecution witnesses wasn't strong enough to overcome the lack of physical evidence linking the entertainer to the slaying of a teenage fan.



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Steve Thomas, but soon indicated they were having trouble reaching a consensus. At least 10 the 12 jurors must agree on a verdict.

After 3 1/2 hours, the panel of seven women and five men sent a note to state District Judge Hans Liljeberg saying, "We have a vote and can't go forward. No one will change their vote. How do we proceed?" The judge told them to continue deliberating.



"If Steve Thomas were here today, he'd be 23," Swaim said in an impassioned closing statement. "He'd want you to know C-Murder isn't his hero anymore. The last time he looked up to him was Jan. 12, 2002. And the last time he looked up to him, he shot him."

With no physical evidence to tie Miller to the murder, prosecutors relied on the testimony of two witnesses - Darneil

Jordan Sr. and Kenneth Jordan, who are not related.





Miller's attorney presented only recordings of testimony by four witnesses at Miller's previous trial - a conviction that was later overturned. All four said Miller wasn't in the fight, but disagreed about where he was.


"These people didn't give you anything whatsoever that can help you tip the scale against Corey Miller," Rakosky said.

The two reluctant witnesses were not enough to erase reasonable doubt, Rakosky said. The prosecution was instead relying on what he called a "wink, wink, nod, nod," strategy.

"There was a sense that we many not have real good evidence in this case, but come on guys, this guy is a thug," Rakosky said, his tone sarcastic.

Miller and his brothers - Percy " Master P" Miller and Vyshonn "Silkk The Shocker" Miller - used to rap on the now-defunct No Limit record label, a popular producer of Southern rap through the 1990s that was founded by Percy Miller.