Nevada Supreme Court upholds rapper’s 2 murder convictions

By Cy Ryan

Thursday, May 27, 2010 | 5:28 p.m.

CARSON CITY – The Nevada Supreme Court has upheld the two first-degree murder convictions of rapper Andre “MacMinister” Dow, found guilty in the shooting of two men in Las Vegas in 2005.

Dow, through his lawyers, said 10 errors were made at his trial before District Judge Stewart Bell. The court found that two statements admitted at the trial were hearsay and they shouldn't have been allowed. But the court said it was a “harmless error.”

“We conclude that any error in this case, whether considered individually or cumulatively does not warrant such relief,” referring to the request for a new trial, the court said.

The court also rejected defense arguments that the judge committed an error when he allowed prior bad act evidence that Dow killed Lee Laursen. Laursen was a witness to the murders with which Dow was charged in this case -- and a possible co-conspirator, authorities say.

The court also said evidence was properly admitted that Dow fled from arrest and later resisted arrest. It said this was admissible evidence of “Dow’s consciousness of guilt.”

Dow, now 39, was sentenced to three life terms in the shooting of Kansas City rapper Anthony “Fat Tone’ Watkins, 24, and his friend, Jearmaine “Cowboy” Atkins, 22, on May 23, 2005.

Police believe Dow and Jason “Corleone” Mathis killed Watkins and Atkins in retaliation for the murder of rapper Andre “Mac Dre” Hicks in 2004.

Mathis, 30, was also convicted of first-degree murder and is serving life terms.