A viral Texas rapper is claiming his innocence after being accused of kidnapping a pregnant lady and maintaining her locked in his storage.
Lee Carter, 52, higher identified by the stage title Viper, was charged final week with kidnapping after Houston police discovered a lady inside his storage who claimed that he had held her there for years, based on a criticism obtained by JHB.
George Powell, Carter’s lawyer, advised CNN a unique story, claiming that the 2 had been in a consensual relationship collectively and share a 3-year-old little one.
Powell advised the outlet that witnesses who know the pair “can have ample proof to display that … they’ve been in a relationship for years.”
In accordance with the criticism, the lady was rescued in April 2023 after managing to ship a message to police dispatch on Carter’s laptop computer.
When police arrived at Carter’s dwelling, they discovered the lady weighing 70 kilos and allegedly locked contained in the storage. The storage was furnished with a makeshift rest room and a mattress coated in contemporary vomit, based on the criticism.
The girl advised officers that Carter approached her years in the past to present her $1 when she was pregnant and panhandling on the road. Carter later returned to ask if she wanted assist earlier than telling her to get in his automobile and, “in opposition to her higher judgement,” the lady stated she left with him, based on the criticism.
The girl advised officers that Carter repeatedly compelled her to do medication, together with crack cocaine, and have intercourse with him. Throughout this time she was solely fed “chips and snacks,” the criticism stated.
The girl recalled one occasion the place she tried to flee when police and fireplace division personnel had been known as to Carter’s dwelling, however she was taken to a hospital as an alternative the place Carter picked her up, the criticism stated.
In accordance with NBC Information, two months after the lady was rescued from the home, one other lady was discovered useless there. Catherine Roberts, 61, was reportedly found inside Carter’s Houston dwelling on July 5.
Jedediah Beights, Carter’s neighbor, advised NBC Information that Roberts was residing in the identical storage that held the primary lady.
“Roberts died from alcoholic liver illness and hepatitis C, sophisticated by inner bleeding,” NBC Information reported, citing health worker data.
Houston police advised the outlet that Roberts’ demise shouldn’t be linked to the kidnapping investigation and that Carter shouldn’t be going through prices for it.
After he was accused of kidnapping, Carter denied the allegations in opposition to him, claiming in a number of social media posts that he’s harmless.
He additionally stated he had solely lived within the Houston dwelling for 13 months. In accordance with company data, Carter owns and operates a shifting firm registered to the handle the place police discovered the lady.
As Viper, Carter has amassed tens of millions of streams on-line and averages greater than 50,000 month-to-month listeners on Spotify.
In a statement posted on social media, Outsider Information, a label related to Carter’s Viper persona, stated that it was “misplaced for phrases” amid the allegations in opposition to him. The label added that it will finish all contact with Carter.
“I wish to say I had no information or involvement in what he was doing,” the assertion learn.
It continued by saying that Outsider Information would shut down completely after processing purchases and refunds.
“I initially deliberate for Viper to not obtain any cash from gross sales until he was discovered harmless, however resulting from attainable authorized threats I’ll pay him his minimize on the finish of this month,” learn a separate assertion on the label’s web site, including that among the cash from gross sales would even be donated “to both the sufferer or charity.”
Carter is ready to look in courtroom Feb.13, and his lawyer stated that he’ll plead not responsible. Powell and a spokesperson for Outsider Information didn’t instantly reply to JHB’s requests for remark.