Charges filed in shooting that followed melee

The man who was reportedly involved in the Pioneer Square melee that sent former Seattle Seahawk Ken Hamlin to the hospital two years ago was slain hours later in retaliation for an unrelated gang shooting, King County prosecutors are alleging in charging papers filed Monday.

Terrell Milam — a 31-year-old convicted killer who was supposed to be in a federal halfway house when he was shot in Seward Park on Oct. 17, 2005 — was killed because he was involved in a nonfatal shooting nine days earlier, prosecutors allege.

According to charging documents, Milam was with fellow members of the Black Gangster Disciple gang after the Pioneer Square brawl when he discussed his part in the shooting of Raphiel "Rollo" Justice IV on Oct. 8, 2005.

Unbeknownst to Milam, charging papers allege, he was speaking in front of a relative of Justice's and a friend, Omar Ali Norman.

Police allege that Norman, 22, killed Milam in a car and that Milam's body was then left at the park.

Norman, who is in prison at McNeil Island Correction Center for a 2006 shooting, was charged with second-degree murder in the slaying of Milam.

Police are still investigating the role Justice's relative may have had in the slaying, but prosecutors said they have not filed charges against him.

Milam had been at a Pioneer Square nightclub on Oct. 16 when he allegedly became involved in a dispute with former Seahawks safety Hamlin.

Hamlin was struck with a metal street sign outside a nightclub and suffered a fractured skull and broken hand that caused him to miss the rest of the 2005 season.

Milam was found fatally shot about three hours later.

At the time, investigators wondered publicly whether there was a connection between the assault of Hamlin and Milam's slaying. According to charging documents, there was no connection.

No one has been charged in connection with the assault on Hamlin, who left the Seahawks earlier this year and is now playing for the Dallas Cowboys.

Police and prosecutors said DNA found on a bullet and a cigarette butt near Milam's body matched that of Norman.

A witness interviewed earlier this year told police that Norman and Justice's relative were in a car with Milam when Milam talked about Justice.

Milam had a criminal history that included a manslaughter conviction for shooting a man over a game of craps in 1994 in Seattle's Pratt Park. He also had an assault conviction out of Yakima for another shooting.

In 2004, he pleaded guilty in federal court to being a felon in possession of body armor, which he took to wearing out of fear of being shot, according to court documents.

He served part of an 18-month prison sentence and was placed on federal probation, as well as remaining under state supervision for his other crimes.

Milam was supposed to be under a 9 p.m. curfew in a federal halfway house in Seattle, but he and other inmates were apparently able get out of the house at night by either bribing someone or leaving a dummy in their beds.

A federal investigation into how Milam was able to leave Pioneer Fellowship House hours before he was killed resulted in the firing of one halfway house employee and the resignation of another.

Christine Clarridge: 206-464-8983 or cclarridge@seattletimes.com