Louisiana Supreme Court Unanimously Rejects Rapper C-Murder’s Latest Appeal

NEW ORLEANS — In a final blow to his efforts within the state judicial system, the Louisiana Supreme Court has unanimously denied a new appeal from Corey “C-Murder” Miller. The decision, handed down on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, marks the third time the state’s highest court has refused to revisit the rapper’s 2009 second-degree murder conviction.

The ruling effectively shuts the door on Miller’s claims that recanted witness testimony and mishandled DNA evidence warrant a new trial or, at the very least, an evidentiary hearing.

A Final Stand in State Court

The seven justices were succinct in their refusal to grant the 54-year-old rapper a path forward. In a per curiam opinion, the court stated that Miller has already utilized all available avenues for relief at the state level.

“Applicant has previously exhausted his right to state collateral review and fails to show that any exception permits his successive filing,” the court wrote.

The decision underscores the immense legal hurdle of “successive filings.” Under Louisiana law, once a defendant has completed the standard appeals process, subsequent attempts to overturn a conviction must meet a rigorous standard of “newly discovered evidence” that would clearly have changed the outcome of the original trial.

The Foundation of the Appeal

Miller’s legal team argued that the 2009 conviction was built on a foundation of sand. The appeal centered on two primary pillars:

Witness Recantations: The two key witnesses who identified Miller as the shooter in the 2002 killing of 16-year-old Steven Thomas—Kenneth and Darnell Jordan (no relation)—have both since filed affidavits recanting their testimony. They claimed they were coerced and threatened by Jefferson Parish investigators to name Miller.

DNA Integrity: Defense attorneys raised questions regarding the handling and testing of DNA evidence from the crime scene, suggesting that modern forensic standards would reveal inconsistencies in the prosecution’s original narrative.

While these claims have fueled a massive public campaign—including vocal support from high-profile figures like Kim Kardashian and Miller’s brother, Master P—the courts have consistently found the recantations “unreliable.” Lower courts previously ruled that the witnesses’ new versions of events lacked credibility when compared to their original sworn testimony.

The 2002 Nightclub Shooting

The case dates back to Jan. 12, 2002, when Steven Thomas was beaten and fatally shot during a brawl at the now-defunct Platinum Club in Harvey. Miller was eventually convicted in 2009 by a 10-2 jury verdict.

At the time, Louisiana was one of only two states that allowed non-unanimous jury convictions. Although the U.S. Supreme Court later ruled in Ramos v. Louisiana (2020) that unanimous verdicts are required for serious crimes, the ruling was not made fully retroactive for cases where the appeals process had already been exhausted, leaving Miller’s life sentence at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola intact.

What Lies Ahead

With the Louisiana Supreme Court’s doors now closed, Miller’s legal strategy must shift toward the federal system. Legal experts suggest his remaining options include:

Federal Habeas Corpus: A petition to a federal judge alleging that his detention violates the U.S. Constitution.

Civil Rights Litigation: Potentially challenging the investigative tactics used by the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office.

For the family of Steven Thomas, the court’s decision provides a grim sense of finality. For over two decades, the Thomas family has maintained that the evidence against Miller was sufficient and has expressed frustration with the celebrity-led pressure to release him.

As of Tuesday night, Miller’s legal team has not issued a formal statement regarding their next move, though they have previously indicated they will pursue “every possible avenue” to prove his innocence.