*The man charged in the killing of Migos rapper Takeoff will reportedly hire a private investigator to aid his defense.
A judge has granted 33-year-old Patrick Xavier Clark $5,000 to hire an investigator who agreed to work at a reduced rate. Per Complex, in his filing made on Monday, Clark said he has “exhausted all finances to pay for his attorney who has agreed to a substantially reduced rate.”
Clark was arrested earlier this month and charged with the murder of Takeoff (born Kirsnick Khari Ball), Fox 5 Atlanta reports. Clark’s attorney revealed at a hearing last week that her client insists on his innocence, according to Billboard.
Clark’s arrest comes a little over a month after the shooting of Takeoff during a dice game outside a bowling alley on Nov. 1. An argument erupted after the game and gunshots were fired. Two others were injured in the shooting.
READ MORE: Man Accused of Killing Migos Rapper Takeoff Claims He’s Innocent
Scroll to continue reading
“There was a lucrative dice game that went on at the event. There was an argument that happened afterwards outside the bowling alley, which led to the shooting,” said HPD Homicide Division Sgt. Michael Burrow. “I can tell you that Takeoff was not involved in playing in the dice game, he was not involved in the argument that happened outside. He was not armed.”
On Friday, the court granted Clark’s motion to hire a P.I. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office will allow a private investigator to work with him to help clear his name and prove he is not the person who shot Takeoff.
Clark is currently jailed on a $2 million bond, according to multiple reports. After the shooting incident, Clark, “applied for an expedited passport by submitting a travel itinerary for an upcoming flight to Mexico,” per court documents as reported by Fox 5 Atlanta.
It remains unclear if Clark was invited to the private party where Takeoff was fatally shot or if he knew the artist personally. When asked if Clark and Takeoff were acquainted, Letitia Quinones, one of Clark’s attorneys, told reporters at last week’s hearing, “We really don’t want to go into the facts at this point.”
Quinones also addressed reports that her client was attempting to flee to Mexico after the shooting.
“He wasn’t trying to go anywhere,” Quinones said, noting that Clark had planned to take a vacation in Mexico but canceled the trip before his arrest.
Leave a Reply