June 7, 2012, should’ve been the best day of Melvin Vernell III’s life. Most people knew him as Lil Phat, the 19-year-old Trill Entertainment phenom who helped turn Webbie’s "Independent" into a national anthem. He was sitting in a black Audi A7 in the parking deck of Northside Hospital in Sandy Springs, Georgia. His girlfriend was inside, literally in labor, about to give birth to their daughter.
He never got to hold her.
Instead, two men approached the car and opened fire. Phat was hit multiple times in the back. He died right there, a few floors away from where new life was beginning. It’s the kind of tragedy that feels too scripted for a movie, yet it’s the reality that shook the Southern rap scene to its core. For years, the story was a tangled mess of rumors, but when the dust settled in court, the truth was weirder than anyone expected. It wasn't just a "rap beef." It was a hit involving a Russian mobster, a college basketball star, and a GPS tracker.
Why the Death of Lil Phat wasn't just a random shooting
The investigation into the death of Lil Phat quickly moved past the idea of a random robbery. This was a professional-style hit. Police found out that the killers knew exactly where to find him, which is creepy when you realize he was at a hospital—a place you don’t usually announce you're visiting.
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It turns out, the Audi Phat was sitting in was a leased vehicle from a guy named Mani Chulpayev. Mani wasn’t just a car dealer; he was a former Russian mobster turned FBI informant. He had installed GPS trackers on his luxury fleet so he could repo them if payments were missed. But in this case, prosecutors argued the GPS data was handed over to the people who wanted Phat dead.
The $10,000 price tag on a life
Why would anyone want to kill a teenager on the verge of fatherhood? Honestly, it came down to ten pounds of marijuana. Prosecutors alleged that Lil Phat had stolen the drugs from two men: Decensae White (a standout basketball player for San Francisco State) and Gary "Eldorado Red" Bradford, an Atlanta-area rapper.
They weren't just mad about the money. It was the "disrespect." According to the trial testimony, they allegedly hired two hitmen from Alabama—Deandre Washington and Maurice Conner—to handle the job for $10,000.
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The Trial: Rap lyrics on the stand
The 2014 trial was a circus. It became one of the high-profile cases where prosecutors used rap lyrics as evidence, a move that’s still controversial today. They played Eldorado Red’s music videos in court, trying to prove he lived the gang lifestyle he rapped about.
Bradford’s lawyers argued it was all "entertainment" and "role-playing," but the jury didn't buy it. While Bradford wasn't the shooter, he was painted as the mastermind who coordinated the retaliation.
- Deandre Washington: The gunman. He got life without parole plus 20 years.
- Gary "Eldorado Red" Bradford: Sentenced to 25 years for conspiracy and gang activity.
- Maurice Conner: The getaway driver. He received 30 years.
- Decensae White: He ended up testifying against the others and got a significantly lighter sentence (8 years).
The weirdest part? Mani Chulpayev, the guy who supposedly provided the GPS coordinates, eventually saw his murder charges dropped. The District Attorney at the time, Paul Howard, was furious, saying Mani basically "got away with murder" because of his complex relationship with federal handlers.
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A legacy cut short at 19
It’s easy to forget how big Lil Phat was becoming. He signed to Trill Entertainment at 14. By 19, he had a flow that was distinct—high energy, raw, and perfectly suited for the "Trill Fam" sound alongside Boosie and Webbie. When you listen to tracks like "Count My Money Backwards" or "Do It Bigger," you hear a kid who was actually finding his voice.
The death of Lil Phat didn't just end a career; it left a massive "what if" over the Louisiana rap scene. He was supposed to be the next one up while Boosie was incarcerated. Instead, his name became a cautionary tale about how the streets and the industry often bleed into each other with fatal results.
What we can learn from this tragedy
The circumstances surrounding Phat’s passing highlight a few grim realities that still haunt the industry:
- The Danger of Digital Footprints: In 2012, GPS tracking in a leased car was the smoking gun. Today, it’s Instagram Live and geotags. The tech changes, but the vulnerability remains the same.
- The "Informant" Gray Area: The role of Mani Chulpayev shows how dangerous it is when individuals with "protection" operate in the street economy.
- Retaliation Cycles: A dispute over $15,000 to $20,000 worth of weed resulted in one death and over 100 combined years of prison time. The math never adds up.
If you’re looking to dive deeper into the music he left behind, start with the Life of a Phat Boy mixtapes. They capture the energy of an era where Baton Rouge was the center of the underground rap world.
To honor the memory of artists lost to violence, many fans now focus on supporting organizations that provide conflict resolution and mentorship for young creators in high-risk environments. Keeping the music alive is one thing, but making sure the next "Lil Phat" makes it past 19 is the real goal.