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    • What new information did we learn from the Young Dolph murder trial?
    Massachusetts

    What new information did we learn from the Young Dolph murder trial?

    Idris Bevan Posted on

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    Prosecutors dropped their case Thursday after three days of testimony in the first trial related to Young Dolph’s killing. Justin Johnson is facing multiple charges for his alleged role in the death of the rapper, whose birth name was Adolph Thornton Jr.

    Thornton was killed in a shooting at Makeda’s Homemade Butter Cookies on Airways Boulevard on November 17, 2021.

    During the first three days of the trial, the prosecutor’s office released more information about the case. Here’s the new information we learned about Young Dolph’s murder.

    The latest: Justin Johnson was found guilty on all counts for his role in Young Dolph’s murder

    Prosecutors say Big Jook attacked Dolph

    During opening statements, Shelby County Assistant District Attorney Paul Hagerman claimed that Big Jook, whose birth name was Anthony Mims, imposed the $100,000 suit on Thornton. Mims, Yo Gotti’s older brother, whose real name is Mario Mims, was active on Yo Gotti’s record label Collective Music Group (CMG).

    Hagerman said Johnson was invited to Atlanta by Big Jook and Hernandez Govan – the man who prosecutors said was the mastermind behind the fatal shooting of Young Dolph – to sign with the music label CMG. CMG is a competing music label to Paper Route Empire, founded by Thornton.

    Big Jook offered Johnson the hit to get signed to CMG, Hagerman claimed. Big Jook himself was shot and killed in Memphis on January 13th. Memphis police have not announced any arrests in connection with his death.

    Johnson’s attorney, Luke Evans, said he neither killed Thornton nor was he even at the scene. Evans has said that all of the evidence against Johnson does not link him to the crime scene.

    Johnson’s fingerprints were not found in the evidence from the getaway car, but Cornelius Smith’s fingerprints were found in the car.

    Smith also faces a number of charges related to Young Dolph’s murder and also testified in Johnson’s trial. During his testimony, Smith revealed that he had only received a total of $800 before his arrest. The defense claimed that CMG paid Smith’s previous attorney $50,000.

    Dolph’s brother was present at the cookie shop

    During Smith’s testimony, he said he was shot by Marcus Thornton during the shooting at Makeda’s Homemade Butter Cookies. Smith said he was shot in the arm and leg and Johnson was struck in the back by a bullet.

    It is not clear whether Marcus Thornton was injured in the shooting.

    According to video evidence, Smith first approached the store with a “Draco,” a semi-automatic weapon, and shot out the window where Thornton was standing. He then fired several shots in the direction of Thornton.

    Smith admitted to shooting Thornton during his testimony.

    Prosecutors said Johnson stood behind Smith with a gun and also fired toward Thornton inside the cookie shop. During the brief gunfire, Thornton’s brother, Marcus, ran outside and attacked Smith and Johnson with his own firearm.

    After the shooting, the suspects called Big Jook

    During Smith’s testimony, he admitted to shooting Thornton and said he “couldn’t tell you how many times I shot (Thornton). ” After the shooting, Smith said he and Johnson Facetimed Big Jook .

    Smith said that Johnson spelled Thornton’s name in sign language to “inform him about her work.”

    Then on the third day, prosecutors called MPD detective Jesse Browning to the stand. Previously, former MPD detective Michael Garner took the stand and explained how call tracking data from cell towers placed Johnson and Smith’s phones at the crime scene and at the apartment complex where prosecutors said the suspects traveled to after the shooting.

    Browning said that at 12:25 p.m. on the day of the shooting, Johnson’s phone called a number associated with Big Jook.

    Govan did not testify against the co-defendant

    The prosecution expected Govan to testify but did not. Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said on the first day of the trial that he expected both Smith and Govan to testify.

    “We expect that Cornelius Smith will cooperate with the testimony, and both Govan and Smith will decide what to do with them at a later date, either through a trial or a plea deal,” Mulroy said.

    The state rested its case on Wednesday without a statement from Govan. Mulroy said he didn’t want to go into too much detail about why he didn’t testify, but sometimes not every witness is needed.

    “Not every potential witness we might have is necessary in a case, it’s not always necessary to bring everything you need to bring to prove everything beyond a reasonable doubt,” Mulroy said.

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    Idris Bevan
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