Patrick Xavier Clark is making a serious power move with his legal defense as his murder trial approaches.

The man accused of killing Migos rapper Takeoff outside a Houston bowling alley in 2022 just swapped out his entire legal team, bringing in some of the heaviest hitters in Texas criminal defense.

Prosecutors claim Clark fired into a group of people near the downtown Houston bowling alley on November 1, 2022, and the gunfire struck Takeoff. The Migos rapper was 28 years old.

Court filings show he’s replacing his previous attorney with Kent Schaffer, a Houston defense lawyer known for handling high-stakes cases, and he’s also added Dan Cogdell and Anthony Osso to the roster.

This isn’t just a casual shuffle either.

The timing here matters because, according to Click2Houston, prosecutors have been building a case that includes some pretty damaging allegations.

They claim Clark searched for information on how to obtain fake plane tickets to expedite his passport, suggesting he was trying to flee the country.

He also allegedly made multiple online searches asking whether he was a suspect in the case. These kinds of details can look really bad in front of a jury, so bringing in experienced defense attorneys makes strategic sense.

Carl Moore, Clark’s previous attorney, filed a motion to withdraw from the case, which is standard procedure when a defendant brings in new counsel.

The court filings specifically state that this change of attorney isn’t intended to delay the trial, which is currently scheduled for November 2026.

That’s still months away, giving the new legal team time to prepare their strategy and review all the evidence prosecutors have compiled.

With the trial just months away and a new legal team now in place, the case is heading toward a critical phase where every detail will matter.