Andre "Mac Minister" Dow is very well known among the rap community -- now he is well known by police. In November last year, he was indicted in connection with the murder of Kansas City rapper Anthony "Fat Tone" Watkins, 24, and his friend Jermaine "Cowboy" Akins, 21.
Police say on May 23, 2005 Watkins and Akins attended a Snoop Dogg concert in Las Vegas. That same night, and about 80 minutes before their murder, they were seen leaving their hotel with Dow. According to Watkins' mother, her son and friend were told by Dow that they were going to meet with Snoop Dogg after the concert to discuss a possible record deal. Police haven't been able to confirm if this is true, or if Dow set up a trap to lure Watkins to Las Vegas.
A white Pontiac Sunfire was seen leaving the murder scene, which led police to Jason "Corleone" Mathis, whose girlfriend, Lee "Alana" Danae Laursen, owned a white Sunfire. Mathis, an aspiring rap promoter and Dow's friend, is now in custody and awaiting trial in Las Vegas. According to police, the white Sunfire was burned on May 25, 2005.
It is believed that Mathis and Dow killed Watkins and Akins in retaliation for the murder of Vallejo rapper Andre "Mac Dre" Hicks, who was gunned down in Kansas City in 2004 after a dispute over a payment for a concert. Rumors among Bay area rappers say that Watkins was behind Andre Hicks' murder. However, police in Kansas City haven't found any evidence to prove those rumors.
On July 14, 2005, the California Highway Patrol pulled Andre Dow over for speeding, near the Golden Gate Bridge. But when the trooper was about to write the citation, Dow sped off and a chase across the bridge followed. Police believe that Dow may have thought he was going to be arrested for his involvement in the Las Vegas killings. Dow abandoned his car in a neighborhood, but police found it and recovered a video documentary that he produced about himself and an Internet article about Watkins' murder in Las Vegas.
A month after the incident, Dow was arrested by the California Highway Patrol, but was released a few days later. It was not until November 2, 2005 that homicide detectives in Las Vegas gathered enough information to indict Andre Dow for the murders of Anthony Watkins and Jermaine Akins. Dow was charged with 2 counts of murder with a deadly weapon and 2 counts of conspiracy to commit murder.
Dow found out about the indictment just two days later, on November 4, 2005. That same day Lee Danae Laursen, Jason Mathis' girlfriend was found murdered. Police now consider Dow a person of interest for Danae's murder. They say she may have been a witness to Watkins' and Akins' deaths.
Mac Minister has recorded with fellow Bay Area rappers Mac Dre, E-40 and Yukmouth, among others. In 2000, the rapper grabbed headlines when he was involved in a major brawl with E-40 during the Source Awards.
Police say on May 23, 2005 Watkins and Akins attended a Snoop Dogg concert in Las Vegas. That same night, and about 80 minutes before their murder, they were seen leaving their hotel with Dow. According to Watkins' mother, her son and friend were told by Dow that they were going to meet with Snoop Dogg after the concert to discuss a possible record deal. Police haven't been able to confirm if this is true, or if Dow set up a trap to lure Watkins to Las Vegas.
A white Pontiac Sunfire was seen leaving the murder scene, which led police to Jason "Corleone" Mathis, whose girlfriend, Lee "Alana" Danae Laursen, owned a white Sunfire. Mathis, an aspiring rap promoter and Dow's friend, is now in custody and awaiting trial in Las Vegas. According to police, the white Sunfire was burned on May 25, 2005.
It is believed that Mathis and Dow killed Watkins and Akins in retaliation for the murder of Vallejo rapper Andre "Mac Dre" Hicks, who was gunned down in Kansas City in 2004 after a dispute over a payment for a concert. Rumors among Bay area rappers say that Watkins was behind Andre Hicks' murder. However, police in Kansas City haven't found any evidence to prove those rumors.
On July 14, 2005, the California Highway Patrol pulled Andre Dow over for speeding, near the Golden Gate Bridge. But when the trooper was about to write the citation, Dow sped off and a chase across the bridge followed. Police believe that Dow may have thought he was going to be arrested for his involvement in the Las Vegas killings. Dow abandoned his car in a neighborhood, but police found it and recovered a video documentary that he produced about himself and an Internet article about Watkins' murder in Las Vegas.
A month after the incident, Dow was arrested by the California Highway Patrol, but was released a few days later. It was not until November 2, 2005 that homicide detectives in Las Vegas gathered enough information to indict Andre Dow for the murders of Anthony Watkins and Jermaine Akins. Dow was charged with 2 counts of murder with a deadly weapon and 2 counts of conspiracy to commit murder.
Dow found out about the indictment just two days later, on November 4, 2005. That same day Lee Danae Laursen, Jason Mathis' girlfriend was found murdered. Police now consider Dow a person of interest for Danae's murder. They say she may have been a witness to Watkins' and Akins' deaths.
Mac Minister has recorded with fellow Bay Area rappers Mac Dre, E-40 and Yukmouth, among others. In 2000, the rapper grabbed headlines when he was involved in a major brawl with E-40 during the Source Awards.
