East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Hillar Moore III and his office received state police protection while an investigation into “credible threats” was conducted, which led to the most recent arrest of rapper Torrance “Lil Boosie” Hatch, the agency says. Lt. Doug Cain of the Louisiana State Police Violent Crime Unit has thus far been “unable to substantiate the threats” made against Moore and will not say whether or not Hatch is thought to be behind them. Cain says the investigation is ongoing. In the process of looking into the matter, however, information was gleaned that led to the May 26 arrest of Hatch in the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola.
Hatch is accused of trying to smuggle codeine cough syrup into prison, where he’s been held since pleading guilty in September 2009 to a third-offense marijuana possession charge. Hatch was also indicted on a first-degree murder charge last year and is awaiting trial in that case. Hatch has targeted Moore in his rap lyrics. Referring to the district attorney in a track released in 2010, Hatch says, among other disparaging remarks, “You’ll probably be dead when I come out of jail” and “You need to die.” Due to the sensitive nature of the case, Cain says police won’t discuss when the threats against Moore were made or if he is still receiving state police protection. —Steve Sanoski
