G-Dep Pleads Not Guilty to Murder Charges
Nearly a month after walking into a New York City precinct and confessing to shooting a man 17 years ago, former Bad Boy rapper G-Dep is pleading not guilty to murder charges.
As previously reported, Dep (born Trevell Coleman) tried to clear his conscience when he walked into the 25th preccinct and admitted to shooting a man in East Harlem during a botched robbery on Oct. 19, 1993. Police informed him that the victim, John Henkel, had died.
Dep, who was only 18 at the time of the shooting, faces 25 years to life if convicted of second-degree murder. He's also been indicted on manslaughter and criminal use of a firearm charges.
Following the hearing, Dep's attorney, Anthony Ricco, told the Wall Street Journal his client is sticking to his original story. Per Ricco, the not guilty plea is part of a procedure that will buy him time to analyze Dep's confession, which he thinks was made under the influence of drugs. The "Let's Get It" rapper has battled with PCP addiction for years.
"We want to make sure what we're dealing with the reality of what actually happened that night," Ricco told the Journal.
Dep has a wife and three children. After making his name in the underground, he rose to stardom as a member of Sean "Diddy" Combs' Bad Boy Records in the early 2000s. Dep released one album, Child of the Ghetto in 2001.
He's presently being held without bond.