A murder plot that seems ripped from a crime thriller has been foiled by the Austin Police Department, with two men behind bars for their alleged part in a scheme to gun down a rapper in downtown Austin, as per official documents. The arrests were made amidst the backdrop of South by Southwest festivities, even though the show in question wasn't part of the iconic festival.
Don Lee Bennett, 39, and Pierre Laday Jones, 38, find themselves facing the music after being charged with possession of a firearm by a felon, a felony that could lead to serious time. Jones has the added dissonance of a harassment charge ringing over his head, a Class B misdemeanor, according to paperwork cited by FOX 7 Austin. Court documents illuminate a chilling plot where the two were allegedly poised to execute the rapper to prevent him from singing to authorities in court.
In a twist straight out of a police procedural drama, it was Jones himself who reportedly spilled the details voluntarily to cops after being nabbed with a gun he wasn't supposed to have. He claimed that he, Bennett, and an as-of-yet unnamed third party were set to disrupt the rap show near East Sixth Street with deadly intent. Bennett was captured by SWAT officers at the club on E. Sixth Street, found with a handgun, as per the affidavit obtained by MySA.
South by Southwest officials have been quick to distance the festival from the headline-grabbing narrative, clarifying that the plot was connected to a concert not under their umbrella despite Jones' purported claims of leveraging VIP access to facilitate the planned hit. The gritty details of an ongoing feud between Jones, Bennett, and the targeted artist have surfaced through several YouTube videos found by the police, flagging a potential motive peppered with animosity and envy.
