Marion “Suge” Knight struck a plea deal on Thursday, September 20, three years after he murdered Terry Carter via a hit-and-run outside of a restaurant in L.A.’s Compton neighborhood, Us Weekly confirms.
Knight, 53, pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter at the Los Angeles Superior Court and will serve 28 years in a state prison. Knight will be credited the three-and-a-half years he’s already been behind bars awaiting trial and he will be on parole for three years after his sentence.
The former Death Row Records executive’s previous 1996 felony conviction for beating Tupac Shakur contributed to his longer sentence, and he was also given an additional five years because Carter’s death was ruled a “serious and violent” crime, and another year because his truck was deemed a hazardous weapon. Before Thursday’s ruling, Knight had been facing a possible life sentence.
Terry’s youngest daughter, Crystal Carter, was present in the courtroom wearing a pendant reading “Carter” to honor her late father, according to the Los Angeles Times. The publication also reports that Crystal called the court proceedings “a complete circus” since they begun in 2015, and while she is glad they are over, “it will never be a win to the family. Can’t bring my dad back.”
Knight made headlines in January 2015 after he ran over Carter with his car at a Tam’s Burgers parking lot in Compton before fleeing the scene. He also struck another man during the incident. The businessman claimed that he drove away quickly because he believed both men were trying to kill him.
