'UNSOLVED' Discovers A Possible Connection Between LAPD And Biggie's Murder

In episode 3 of UNSOLVED: The Murders of Tupac and The Notorious B.I.G., the detectives are reeling in the aftermath of Tupac Shakur’s drive-by killing in Las Vegas and what role the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD may have played in it all.

What we know so far: All roads lead back to Death Row Records founder Marion “Suge” Knight. LAPD detectives Greg Kading (played by Josh Duhamel) and Russell Poole (played by Jimmi Simpson) are both delving into the possibility that Knight had something to do with both Tupac and Biggie’s murders, including the theory that Knight had off-duty officers from the LAPD on his payroll. “Death Row is a way of life,” Suge says in the start of last week’s episode. “Blood in. Blood out.”  Of course, in real life, neither Suge Knight nor any police officer nor anyone else has ever been charged or officially connected to the murders of Biggie or Tupac, which remain unsolved to this day.

Random observation: Poole’s coworker, Grace,  is clearly into him. This episode, we see them enjoy some off-the-clock flirting. Will we get an office romance amid the murder investigation?

Here’s what we know after episode 3:

There’s no shortage of rabbit holes for the LAPD to dive into regarding Biggie’s murder. Kading and his team look into the white van spotted during the shooting and a “pretty” woman who was seen around. Those end up being futile leads. But there’s two people who haven’t been interviewed: Corey Edwards, a fugitive, and Travon Lane, who’s currently incarcerated. Why would so-called die-hard street guys talk to the police now? As Officer Daryn Dupree (played by  Bokeem Woodbine) explains, time may be on the LAPD’s side to secure new information. “Guys get older, start facing years…You never know.”

The biggest mystery is how has Edwards absconded without a trace? Officer Lee Tucker does some digging and discovers that Edwards has been using aliases. He’s been living in plain sight in Los Angeles for years.

Moonlighting as Death Row security wasn’t uncommon in the LAPD. Poole discovers that the label was “crawling with cops.” His new theory is that Tupac and Biggie’s murders weren’t some random drive-bys but that some LAPD officers were “caught up” somehow. His partner isn’t having it. Poole is going around Internal Affairs and digging up theories that could get both of them into trouble.

An incarcerated police informant named Psycho Mike meets with Poole and his partner and he has a lot to say. “It was a contract killing,” he said of Biggie’s murder. Through the grapevine, he’s heard that a guy named Dre and “a couple of cops” from Compton were involved. He also mentions the name Reggie Wright (but is unsure whether it’s the father—a Compton cop--or his son, who is head of Death Row security). He also has a vague recollection of the name of the shooter. He says the shooter’s real name is Keke and he’s a former Crip-turned-convert to Islam. “He’s definitely a contract killer.” Could Keke be Duane “Keffe D” Davis, the Crip related to Orlando Anderson?

Last week, we saw that Pac’s fight with Orlando Anderson was sparked when Anderson took Travon Lane’s chain. ”It was a medallion, not a chain,” Lane tells Kading and Dupree when questioned. “Orlando never took it…I never told Pac to do nothing.” The LAPD threatens Lane that his prison bid could be increased now that the Feds are involved in the Biggie case. He laughs it off and refuses to snitch.

Kading needs to watch his back because his crew is going rogue. One officer, Lee Tucker, pokes around, looking for Keffe D while Dupree is having jailhouse conversations on the side with a known drug dealer.  Dupree was reprimanded before for ethics violations, so it’s suspicious. Meanwhile, Keffe’s lawyer finds out about the task force poking around. “You put Keffe on notice!” Kading yells, worried that other players may be on alert now.  Meanwhile, there’s racial tension simmering inside the task force. Tucker thinks that Kading is a glory hog while Dupree defends his longtime friend.

How does $722,000 disappear from a bank? We see the LAPD investigating a bank robbery and it’s first unclear how this is connected to the Biggie or Tupac murders. The bank teller breaks down and admits that it was an inside job. She says that she was involved in the crime with a LAPD officer named David Mack.

Mack’s house gets searched by the LAPD. That’s when Poole discovers a photo of Mack dressed in all red. He has a Tupac poster on his wall. The OMG moment that could be the big break the cops have been waiting for: Mack has a black Chevy Impala in his garage. The same kind of car used in Biggie’s murder.

[Photo: NBC Universal]