Police bungle release of rapper’s autopsy report

By MARGARET NEIGHBOUR
Published on 10/12/2012 00:00

LOS ANGELES police has apologised to the family of hip-hop artist Notorious B.I.G. for failing to warn them about the planned release of his autopsy report more than 15 years after he died in a drive-by shooting.

Detectives intended to notify the rapper’s family, but the report was released prematurely “due to an administrative error,” the LAPD said this weekend.

“Our detectives personally spoke with the Wallace family, and apologised for not notifying them prior to the release,” said Captain Billy Hayes, who heads LAPD’s robbery-homicide division, which is investigating the killing .

The 23-page report revealed the rapper, whose real name was Christopher Wallace, was hit by four bullets after leaving a music industry event in March 1997, but one that hit his heart, left lung and colon caused his death.

The attorney for the rapper’s family criticized police for not giving notice of the report’s release and failing to close one of Los Angeles’ highest-profile unsolved murders.