Knight Accused Of Death Threats

Former R&B singer Waymond "Suave" Anderson, a convicted murderer serving a life sentence without parole, claimed July 31 that he recanted his testimony in the ongoing civil lawsuit filed by the family of Notorious B.I.G. because he was allegedly threatened by Marion "Suge" Knight.

Anderson, whose credibility has been questioned before by prosecutors, made that claim during a two-day hearing examining evidence in his own case, which he contends shows his innocence in the 1993 murder for which he is serving time. He alleged that Knight used former Los Angeles Times reporter Chuck Philips to deliver several handwritten, threatening notes to him at Corcoran State Prison, according to the Times.

Philips, who had written several stories about Anderson’s conviction that reportedly suggested the singer was innocent, denied the claim.

"That never happened," he told the paper. "I’m flabbergasted by this whole thing. This is the ultimate betrayal."

Anderson previously implicated former Los Angeles police officer David Mack in the 1997 murder of Biggie Smalls, accusing Mack of orchestrating Biggie’s death on behalf of Knight as part of an alleged East Coast-West Coast rap war related to Tupac Shakur’s shooting death in Las Vegas. Anderson later recanted, claiming he’d lied and didn’t know Mack.

This is the latest installment in what has been described as a legal soap opera in regard to Anderson’s attempts to overturn his conviction. This time, Anderson reportedly accused police, two of his former attorneys and a prosecutor of corruption, the paper said.

The former singer scored a hit with his 1988 cover of the Temptations’ "My Girl" and released three albums on Capitol Records before being convicted of setting fire to a home near the University of Southern California to kill a man over what prosecutors said was an unpaid drug debt. Two died in the fire.

Anderson contends he was in Mississippi at the time of the murders and says the defense has proof of that. The two witnesses who testified against Anderson in his murder trial have also since recanted their testimony.

The FBI is said to have copies of the alleged threatening notes from Knight and is investigating, the Times said.