Jury deliberations are underway in a Memphis courtroom Thursday as one of the men accused of killing rapper Young Dolph awaits his fate.
Justin Johnson, the first suspected shooter that killed the Major rapper at a strip mall cookie shop in November 2021, briefly took the stand Thursday, revealing he would not testify in his defense.
Johnson was indicted on seven charges ranging from conspiracy to commit first-degree murder to unlawful possession of a firearm as a convicted felon.
If convicted, Johnson could be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Young Dolph pictured in 2020 (left) and Justin Johnson pictured in court on September 24, 2024.
AP Photo
At the time of publication, the jury had been deliberating for over three and a half hours.
The court resumed for a moment as Judge Jennifer Johnson Mitchell reviewed a question from the jury on whether there is a legal definition for the term “agreement” in court documents.
“There is not a legal definition for the term ‘agreement,'” Mitchell decided to respond in writing.
Cornelius Smith is the second suspected gunman in Dolph’s killing. Hernandez Govan, who is believed to be the mastermind behind the shooting death, has also been charged with murder.
Smith testified against Johnson on Tuesday, corroborating the prosecution’s claim that he and Johnson carried out an alleged $100,000 hit on Dolph.
The hit was allegedly thought up by Big Jook, the late brother of Dolph’s rival, fellow rapper Yo Gotti.
On the stand, Smith said he and Johnson agreed to pay Govan $10,000 after the hit, while each gunman would take home $40,000. He claims he only received $800 of that promise before his January 2022 arrest.
No motive for the murder has been disclosed.
Gotti and Dolph’s rivalry intensified over time, fueled by their contrasting affiliations and the competitive Memphis rap scene. Tensions grew as both artists threw subliminal jabs in their music and engaged in public spats. Their feud was characterized by tracks that appeared to take shots at each other, alongside incidents of violence.
In September 2017, Dolph was shot outside a Los Angeles hotel during a confrontation with three men. Initially, many speculated that the incident was linked to his feud with Gotti, who was also at the hotel; however, the LAPD later stated that Gotti was not considered a person of interest in the case.
Days after the shooting, Corey McClendon, a known associate of Gotti, was arrested but ultimately not charged.
Prosecutors questioned Smith’s intentions in testifying against Johnson, citing letters to his family where Smith allegedly stated he would lie to and say he shot Dolph to get a better deal. Smith denied this, and stated he agreed to “tell the truth” because he “had a conscious.”
Big Jook, 47, was fatally shot near a Memphis restaurant and event center in January.
He and another victim, who survived the shooting, were at a “repass” or meal shared by the family and friends of a deceased person, typically after a funeral.
No arrests have been made in Big Jook’s death.
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