Monday, April 28, 2008
A Torrance judge has ordered 10-time Grammy winner Chaka Khan and her son, Damien Holland, to pay more than $1.3 million to the family of a teenager killed by Holland during a dispute in the singer's home.
Holland, 29, was acquitted of 17-year-old Christopher Bailey's murder following a jury trial in May 2006.
Holland shot Bailey in the face with an M-16 assault rifle on Sept. 24, 2004. During the trial, Holland admitted he had a friend punch him in the face and initially lied to the police to make it seem Bailey attacked him.
He also testified he was upset because Bailey was having an affair with his girlfriend, but that the gun went off accidentally.
Bailey was an aspiring rap musician who moved in with Khan and her family to work with Holland in their studio.
Bailey's parents sued Khan, Holland, Khan's mother and Khan's company in September 2006, alleging wrongful death and negligence.
It appears from the case file that neither Khan nor Holland responded to the lawsuit.
Khan's mother, Sandra Coleman, settled with Bailey's family for $500,000, court records show, although the family contends that was only half of what they agreed to.
Superior Court Judge Bob Hight approved a default judgment against them in November for more than $1.3 million, plus interest, according to court records.
Khan's manager, Tammy McCrary, said Friday that the singer never received the lawsuit and knows nothing about the judgment.
She said Khan, 55, no longer lives in the Westchester home in the 7200 block of Sepulveda Boulevard, which is one of the two addresses listed for her in the court file.
Bailey's father, Glen Newton, said he believes Khan wasn't served with the lawsuit. He added that his attorney has mishandled the case in several ways, including not serving the lawsuit and now spending additional money to investigate Khan's finances.
Messages left Friday for Newton's attorneys at the R. Rex Parris Law Firm were not returned.
The outstanding judgment angers Newton, but not nearly as much as losing his son, then watching his killer walk away a free man.
Since the trial, Newton has grown to believe that many of the witnesses - including Khan - lied about the circumstances surrounding Bailey's death, possibly because they feared repercussions from crossing Holland and Khan.
And he's watched intently in recent months as Khan has received accolades and positive press for her charitable work, personal resurrection and musical achievements.
What really caught his attention was the release of her newest album, "Funk This," which debuted at No. 15 on Billboard's R&B chart, the day after the three-year anniversary of Bailey's death.
Upsetting him more are statements she's made in interviews about Bailey and her own son, he said.
In a Dec. 17 Jet Magazine article, Khan said she came to court "every day" of the trial to support Holland.
"It was bigger than just some people sitting in court. This was a mother and her son seeking out the truth," Khan told Jet.
She credited her trust in God for the trial's outcome, and said she prays for Bailey's family "every day."
"Every time she puts her name in the paper she goes back and talks about this," Newton said. "She just won't leave it alone. I know it's eating at her."
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