MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Clues in a child murder investigation might come from a source you would not expect: a rap song.
Family members of the victim, 15-year-old Cateria Stokes, said a song called “Lil’ Homie” reveals why she was killed.
“We loading up the choppers ’bout to take a ride around,” a lyric in the song says.
While it may not mention her name, the rap song seems to tell her story.
“…just made the news. Said we just shot a baby,” the rapper said.
“Shooting *bleep* in broad day and hit some kid while she was napping,” another lyric revealed.
Family members said even though the shooting happened early in the morning, the tune by Memphis rapper Don Trip details the day Stokes was killed.
“We pull up and pulled those rockets out and let them spray,” Trip described in the song.
“Why would they kill my daughter?” Joyce Stokes said.
Cateria’s mother was in tears Wednesday when we played her the song.
“It hurt me so bad that somebody want to get fame and glory — and get famous off my daughter getting killed in her sleep,” Stokes said.
The shooting described in the song was about revenge, but the rapper reveals the gunmen never hit their intended target.
“We thought we got at little buddy, but we got the wrong addy,” Trip described in the song.
“They already said it’s the wrong house,” Stokes said. “They knew they shot the wrong house up. I ain’t have anything to do with them people shooting up my house, and kill my daughter, and shoot my brother.”
Stokes hopes the police take the video seriously and, at least, question the rapper.
“Find out what you know — why you did it. You know more about my daughter’s murder and where they at,” Stokes said.
Memphis Police told WREG they were aware of the song.
However, a spokesperson would only say officers are investigating.
Stokes wants the rapper to talk to her in person about the song.
“He put that out in the streets about my family,” Stokes said. “They didn’t call no names, but everybody knows who they talking about.”
Police said no charges have been filed in Cateria’s case.
It is worth noting that rappers often make songs about things happening around them. It doesn’t always mean they were involved.
Stokes says the rapper who made the song went to high school with one of her sons.
