THE NOTORIOUS B.I.G - NEW INVESTIGATION INTO NOTORIOUS BIG MURDER

Slain rapper NOTORIOUS BIG's murder is to be reinvestigated - a new team of detectives have been assigned to the case. The HYPNOTIZE hitmaker, real name CHRISTOPHER WALLACE, was at the height of his career when he was gunned down Los Angeles in 1997, after leaving a record party. He was 24. Los Angeles Assistant City Attorney DON VINCENT yesterday (16MAR06) told city council members a new group of Robbery-Homicide Division detectives would reopen the case. The rapper's family, along with singer FAITH EVANS, filed a lawsuit against the Los Angeles Police Department, alleging rogue police office DAVID A MACK, a convicted bank robber, orchestrated the rapper's killing on behalf of Death Row Records chief MARION "SUGE" KNIGHT, and department heads covered it up. The case went to trial last summer (05), but ended in a mistrial, with the city later ordered to pay $1.1 million (GBP650,000) in sanctions to the family for deliberately concealing evidence in the case. A retrial is expected later this year (06). The new team of investigators were assigned to the case after Los Angeles city council members became outraged over the police department's handling of the case and the costly court defeat.