OMB Bloodbath Retrial: High Stakes in Murder Case

0:00On March 16th, Houston rapper OMB Bloodbath is heading back to federal court for a second trial on upgraded murder charges. Prosecutors rejected the hung jury from her first case back in January and filed a new indictment last week. It accuses her of directly taking part in the 2017 killing of a 53-year-old bystander named Samuel Johnson during a gang shootout in South Houston. The shooting stemmed from a long-running feud between her alleged gang, a hundred percent third ward and a rival group. Four members in a stolen car fired at enemies on October 16th, but Johnson just happened to be in the wrong place. She's been in custody since 2023, facing charges like murder tied to racketeering and using a firearm in a violent crime. In the first trial, after two weeks of evidence including jail calls, text messages, and her own rap videos, the jury couldn't agree. Her defense said she didn't order the hit, and one shooter claimed he acted alone, but he later pled guilty and got nearly 24 years in federal prison on top of a state sentence.

1:06Prosecutors now argue she knowingly joined in, shifting from proving she led the gang to her hands-on role. Both new charges carry mandatory life sentences, if convicted. The retrial is set from May 20th, so the stakes are even higher, as everyone waits to see if the evidence sticks this time.