In an open letter addressed to L.A. County District Attorney George Gascon, the Canadian rapper claims he was 'wrongfully convicted of a crime [he] did not commit' after the 2020 shooting involving Megan Thee Stallion.
- Apr 22, 2023
AceShowbiz - Tory Lanez has penned an open letter to the Los Angeles DA, maintaining his innocence in the Megan Thee Stallion shooting case. In the emotional letter addressed to L.A. County District Attorney George Gascon ahead of a new trial, the rapper claimed he was "illegally" convicted "of a crime [he] did not commit."
"Until my court date I'll be posting the OUTRAGEOUS & DISGUSTING INJUSTICES used against me by the PROSECUTION to get the conviction they so DESPERATELY wanted," Tory wrote in the caption of his Instagram post on Friday, April 21, "DESPITE the evidence they knew existed."
Tory began his letter, "I write this message with the utmost humility, love, and respect for the remarkable stance you've taken in regards to fighting for the justice of Black and brown minorities. Today I take a stance as an innocent Black man, wrongfully convicted of a crime I did not commit."
The Canadian star specifically named two district attorneys, Kathy Ta and Alex Bott, whom he accuses of "unlawfully [misusing] their authority to hide and suppress any and all exculpatory evidence that exonerates me, or furthers my innocence." He claimed, "I was completely robbed and deprived of a fair trial."
"Not only do I owe it to myself to fight for my freedom, but I owe it to my 6-year-old child, my family, fans, and most importantly the hundreds of thousands of Black and Hispanic minorities that cannot adequately fight for themselves," the "Letter to the City" emcee argued.
He went on alleging, "For 3 years, the prosecution has manipulated a false narrative, that has left me with no choice but to expose, and make aware, the practices, the behind door deals, and the unjust system used to illegally convict me and countless other minorities."
The 30-year-old ended the letter with a heartfelt plea for a fair trial. "Mr. Gascon, I come to you today as a wrongfully convicted man, not asking for sympathy, nor compassion, but for you to simply do what is fair and right by the laws of California, and most importantly in the eyes of God," he concluded.
In December 2022, Tory was found guilty of shooting Megan in the back of her feet following a verbal altercation after a party at Kylie Jenner's house in July 2020. He was charged with one felony count each of assault with a semi-automatic firearm and carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle. He was also convicted of an additional felony count of discharging a firearm with gross negligence.
In late March, his attorney filed an appeal, claiming prosecutors tried to dirty him up with "irrelevant evidence." Earlier this month, sentencing for Tory was delayed following his legal team's appeal in the case. An upcoming motion hearing for a new trial is scheduled for May 8.
