Lead Detective In B.I.G.'s Murder Case Dies

The lead detective in Biggie Small's unsolved murder has died, potentially taking the 18-year-old mystery to his grave.

Russell Poole, the retired Los Angeles Police detective who was the first to accuse fellow cops and Death Row Records CEO Marion (Suge) Knight for the rapper's 1997 death, collapsed and died Wednesday, the Los Angeles Times reported.

An unidentified sheriff's official said Poole was meeting with detectives about a cold case, one that wasn't specified, when he suffered a suspected heart attack.

Rapper Busta Rhymes, reacting to news of Poole's death, was quick to express his gratitude to the late gumshoe on Instagram for "dedicating your life to trying to solve B.I.G.'s death."

He also labeled his death "strange."

"Coincidentally he dies after meeting with the police about the cold case of Biggie's death and strangely collapse's shortly after and was unresponsive and was pronounced dead when he arrived at the hospital," he wrote. "Ain't this some s--t? RIP B.I.G."

Poole rose to fame after probing the Los Angeles drive-by shooting which killed the Brooklyn-born rapper, also known as Christopher Wallace and Notorious B.I.G., at 24.

His death came about six months after fellow rap legend and record label rival Tupac Shakur was also fatally gunned down in Las Vegas.

Poole suggested that Biggie's slaying was in retaliation for Shakur's, whose murder also remains unsolved.

In a twist, the determined sleuth also suggested that Knight staged Shakur's murder to avoid paying the "California Love" artist millions of dollars owed in royalties, he said in the 2002 documentary, "Biggie & Tupac."

"I think the fact that law enforcement officers were working for Death Row, that was a scandal in itself," Poole said, according to Rolling Stone Magazine. "Suge Knight, to me, was one of the most powerful gangsters around. He was well-organized, he had a lot of power, and what gave him the
"I think the fact that law enforcement officers were working for Death Row, that was a scandal in itself," Poole said, according to Rolling Stone Magazine. "Suge Knight, to me, was one of the most powerful gangsters around. He was well-organized, he had a lot of power, and what gave him the power, he had dozens and dozens of police officers working in his organization."

Knight was never implicated in Wallace's killing.

He's currently behind bars while facing murder charges for a hit-and-run last January in Compton, Calif.

He's pleaded not guilty in that case.

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