Rodrick Cardale Reed

Rodrick Cardale "Lil Rod" Reed is an American drug dealer and gang member who is alleged to be responsible for the murder of several Death Row Records employees between the years 1997 and 2003. The series of murders is belived to be motivated by a rivalry between Reed and the CEO of Death Row Records, Suge Knight. While never charged with murder, Reed was sentenced to life in prison in 2006 for the manufacture and distribution of PCP.

Criminal activities

Feud with Suge Knight and murder of Death Row Records employees

Reed was a member of the Fruit Town Piru Bloods, the members of which were hired as employees at Death Row Records by Suge Knight. The operation involved the use of a rolling PCP lab, which law enforcement described as one of the largest ever found.

Arrest and imprisonment Reed was among 26 people arrested in 2003, in relation to the PCP operation. Federal agents had wiretapped Reed's phone and over 18 months, obtained evidence implicating him in the manufacture and distribution of PCP. 175 kg of PCP, along with weapons and cash were confiscated during raids.

Reed's attorney stated that there was nothing in the wiretaps which implicated Reed in any murder: There was nothing on the wiretaps to indicate he was complicit to a violent act. If they didn’t hear one conversation about a homicide on those 5,000 phone calls, I’d imagine there’s nothing there. For his role in the PCP ring, Reed was sentenced to life in prison in 2006. However, Reed was not convicted of any of the murders which he has been implicated in.