Patrick Xavier Clark, 33, the alleged killer of Migos member Takeoff was indicted on a charge of murder by a Texas grand jury on Thursday, May 25. His lawyer Carl Moore provided a statement to TMZ about the indictment on the same day, claiming he and his client were expecting it. “Today’s action by the grand jury is not unexpected,” he said.
“We would ask people to remember that getting an indictment requires meeting a very, very minimal standard of proof,” the statement continued. “When we get inside a courtroom and in front of a jury, where we will be able to put on our evidence and cross-examine the state’s witnesses— where the standard of proof is guilt beyond a reasonable doubt— we expect the jury will come back with a verdict of not guilty.”
The 28-year-old rapper was shot in the early morning hours of November 1, 2022 during what was later described as a “private party,” and the injuries killed him. His attorney released a statement the same day, confirming the passing of rapper Offset‘s cousin. “Along with my firm, I am devastated by the tragic death of Kirshnik Ball, known to his fans as Takeoff,” lawyer Drew Findling said in a statement to HollywoodLife. “Takeoff was not only a brilliant musical artist with unlimited talent but also a uniquely kind and gentle soul. He will be greatly missed now and always.”
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Suspect Patrick was arrested and charged with murder a month later, as Houston Police chief Troy Finner revealed in a December 2, 2022 press conference. The arrest was made in the evening hours of December 1. 22-year-old Cameron Joshua was also charged in the incident with unlawful carrying of a weapon. At the time, Patrick pleaded innocent, with his lawyer reportedly stating that, “he’s innocent of the crime,” per a December 5 report by The Daily Mail.
Finner said at the time of the arrest that the world lost a “good” man in the shooting death of Takeoff. “We lost a good man,” he said during the December 2 press conference. “I did not have the pleasure of meeting him. Everybody in the hundreds of people that I talk to spoke about what a great individual he was. I want to thank the family and everybody else for their patience and for allowing us to work through the evidence and the facts.”