Warrant for Kieth Murry of Def Squad

Def Squad rapper Keith Murray has been branded a fugitive in Connecticut after he failed to turn himself in Thursday to begin a prison sentence on a 1996 assault conviction. Murray, 26, was scheduled to appear at the New Britain, Conn., courthouse to begin his three-year sentence for assaulting a teen-age fan with a bar stool in 1995. On Monday (Sept. 28), the rapper's attorney said he did not know why his client failed to appear. "I have not had any direct contact with Keith in well over a month, maybe two months," said Anthony DiPentima. "I've only had communication to him through his handlers." Murray's absence could have "an adverse effect" on his sentence, DiPentima said. The conviction for the third-degree assault of David Hughes landed Murray a five-year jail term, which would have been suspended after three years, with three years' probation. New Britain police confirmed Monday that a failure-to-appear warrant was in effect and that Murray was still at large. "He hasn't been picked up yet," said a Detective Gannon, who declined to give his first name. Gannon did not yet know whether state officials have decided to extradite the Atlanta-based rapper. Whether Murray now intends to turn himself in is unclear. "I have no idea," DiPentima said when asked if Murray plans to report to authorities. "I sure hope so." Representatives from Jive Records, the label for which Murray records, could not be reached for comment.