Shocking cases of celebs who were accused of murder

Being rich and being in the public eye does not prevent or protect celebrities from committing crimes. O.J. Simpson set a precedent when his trial received round-the-clock media coverage and his household name became notorious. But he's far from being the only celebrity to have been tried for murder.

Click through the gallery and see what other big names have been accusing of committing this heinous crime.

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Mark Wahlberg - In 1998, the actor was charged with attempted murder for attacking a middle-aged Vietnamese man with a wooden stick, followed by racial remarks.

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Mark Wahlberg - Then 16 years old, Wahlberg pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of assault, and was sentenced to two years imprisonment. He served only 45 days, but carries a permanent felony record.

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Snoop Dogg - In 1993, the rapper was arrested in connection with the shooting death of a rival gang member. The Dogg and his bodyguard were charged with murder.

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Snoop Dogg - The bodyguard admitted to the shooting, but his lawyer successfully argued self-defense in court. In 1996, both men were acquitted of the charges.

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Michael Jace - The actor best known for his role in 'The Shield' was arrested in 2014 in connection with the shooting death of his wife in front of their two sons.

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Michael Jace - In 2016, the actor was found guilty by a jury and sentenced to 40 years in prison.

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Sid Vicious - The British punk rocker and Sex Pistols bassist was charged with the 1978 stabbing murder of his girlfriend Nancy Spungen. She was found dead in a bathroom at the Chelsea Hotel in New York where the couple was living at the time.

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Sid Vicious - Sid Vicious was charged with her murder but died from a heroine overdose while out on bail a few months after, before the case could be tried.

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Oscar Pistorius - IN 2013, the South African former sprint runner and Olympic athlete was arrested and charged in connection with the shooting death of his girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp.

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Oscar Pistorius - In high publicized trial, he was initially convicted of the lesser charge of culpable homicide and received a five-year prison sentence. But in 2015, a court overturned his conviction and found him guilty of murder.

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Johnny Lewis - The 'Sons of Anarchy' actor had several legal incidents involving assault and breaking and entering, which culminated with the 2012 death of his 81-year-old landlady after he broke into her home. He was also found dead outside of the home.

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Johnny Lewis - The woman's death was investigated as a homicide, in which Lewis was a suspect. It was later determined he killed the woman and died either falling or jumping from a height.

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Phil Spector - The record producer, whose work includes hit songs by The Beatles among many others, was charged with murder in the 2003 death of actress Lana Clarkson in his mansion.

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Phil Spector - Her body was found slumped in a chair with a gunshot wound to her mouth. Spector's first trial resulted in a hung jury, but he was convicted a year later and sentenced to 19 years.

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Roscoe Arbuckle - The silent film actor and Charles Chaplin mentor became a defendant in the case of the rape and manslaughter of actress Virginia Rappe. A murder charge was originally considered, but the judge later downgraded it to manslaughter.

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Roscoe Arbuckle - The actress became ill during a party at St. Francis Hotel (pictured) and died days later. Arbuckle was accused of raping and accidentally killing her. His first two trials resulted in hung juries but he was acquitted in a third trial.

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Ray Lewis - Following a Super Bowl party in 2000, the American football player became involved in a brawl that resulted in the deaths of two men. Lewis, along with two others, were charged with murder.

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Ray Lewis - Lewis's attorneys negotiated a plea deal and the murder charge was dropped. Instead, Lewis agreed to plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of obstruction of justice in exchange for his testimony against the other suspects.

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Victoria Vetri - The model and 1968 Playboy Playmate of the Year was charged with the attempted murder of her husband, Bruce Rathgeb, in 2010.

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Victoria Vetri - In 2011, her charge was downgraded to attempted voluntary manslaughter to which she entered a plea of no contest. She was sentenced to nine years in state prison.

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Rae Carruth - The former American football player was charged with the murder of his pregnant girlfriend, Cherica Adams, in 1999, who was allegedly shot by one Carruth's associates.

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Rae Carruth - Prosecutors argued that Carruth hired his associate to kill Adams for refusing to get an abortion. He was found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder. He is set to be released from prison in October 2018.

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Cassidy - In 2005, the hip-hop artist was accused of being one of three suspects who opened fire at three unarmed men in Philadelphia.

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Cassidy - Cassidy was charged with murder but was later convicted of involuntary manslaughter and other charges, including aggravated assault.

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Bruno Souza - In 2010, the Brazilian goalkeeper was arrested in connection with the murder and torture of his former mistress and mother of his youngest child.

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Bruno Souza - Police contended Bruno had the woman's body cut up and fed to dogs. He was charged with a host of crimes, including murder and kidnapping.

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Duane Chapman - In 1976, the bounty hunter and reality show star became involved in a murder case for being in a car when a friend of his shot and killed an alleged pimp and drug dealer.

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Duane Chapman - He was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to five years in a Texas prison where he served 18 months.

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Lillo Brancato Jr. - The actor who starred in 'A Bronx Tale' (1993) and 'The Sopranos' was involved in a robbery-gone-wrong in 2005, which resulted in the death of a police officer.

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Lillo Brancato Jr. - He was charged with second-degree murder, for which the jury found him not guilty. The jury convicted him of first-degree attempted burglary instead, and Brancato was sentenced to 10 years. He was released on parole in 2013.

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Shocking cases of celebs who were accused of murder

Some were convicted, some were acquitted

04/10/18 | StarsInsider

CELEBRITY Murder

Being rich and in the public eye does not prevent or protect celebrities from committing crimes. O.J. Simpson set a precedent when his trial received round-the-clock media coverage and his household name became notorious. But he's far from being the only celebrity to have been tried for murder.

Click through the gallery and see what other big names have been accused of committing this heinous crime.