The petition filed by American rapper Calvin Broadus Jr., widely known as Snoop Dogg, to have his 1993 murder charge sealed has been approved 28 years after his acquittal.
Snoop Dogg, now 52, and his bodyguard, McKinley Lee, were accused of the 1993 shooting of gang member Philip Woldemariam in Los Angeles. They went on trial for first and second-degree murder in 1996. Snoop’s debut album was released around the time of his high-profile trial, and after his acquittal, he achieved continued mainstream success.
According to legal documents obtained by TMZ, Snoop requested the court to seal the records in January 2024, and the request was granted in February. Sealing the charge means it will no longer be visible to the public and will not appear in background checks for jobs, housing, or education.
In 1993, Snoop had been charged as an accessory to the shooting, which prosecutors claimed was carried out by his bodyguard while Snoop drove the vehicle. Despite the charge, he was allowed to tour Britain, sparking tabloid outrage. Snoop has since claimed that the late Queen intervened to allow him entry into the country.
At age 24, Snoop was visibly shocked and emotional when he and his bodyguard were acquitted of all charges. He told the LA Times that the decision was the right one, reflecting on the toll the ordeal had taken on his life over two and a half years.
Snoop, a father of four, shares three children—Cordé, Cordell, and Cori—with his wife Shante Broadus, and a son, Julian, from a previous relationship with Laurie Holmond.
