MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Following the conviction of Justin Johnson for the murder of Memphis rapper Young Dolph, eyes are now turning to two other men charged in the case – Cornelius Smith and Hernandez Govan.
Both Smith and Govan face charges of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, and attempted first-degree murder. Both were originally scheduled to be tried at the same time as Johnson.
Court dates originally scheduled for Smith and Govan for Sept. 30 were reset after the verdict. Smith will appear Nov. 15, and Govan is due back for a hearing Oct. 9.
Another suspect, Jermarcus Johnson - Justin Johnson's half-brother, pleaded guilty to three counts of accessory after the fact in October 2023 and faces six to 12 years in jail. He has a court date set for Oct. 9.
Justin Johnson was found guilty of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, and felon in possession of a firearm and immediately sentenced to life in prison after the verdict was read on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024.
Young Dolph, whose real name was Adolph Thornton Jr., was shot and killed at Makeda's Cookies on Airways Boulevard on Nov. 17, 2021. Police said two men got out of a stolen Mercedes-Benz and fired shots into Makeda’s Homemade Cookies, where Young Dolph was making a purchase.
Prosecutors claimed the shooting was part of a rap feud between Dolph’s Paper Route EMPIRE (PRE) label and Yo Gotti’s Collective Music Group (CMG – aka Cocaine Muzik Group).
Smith and Jermarcus Johnson both testified against Justin Johnson. His defense attorney, Luke Evans, said he had anticipated Govan, who prosecutors said ordered the hit on Young Dolph, would testify as well. However, Govan never took the stand.
Shelby County District Attorney General Steve Mulroy said Smith's and Govan’s fates will be decided either through trial or plea deal and will depend on their level of cooperation.
The testimony
Smith took the stand against Justin Johnson on the first day of the trial, admitting to killing Dolph. Smith testified that he met with ‘Quett (Govan) and ‘Big Jook’ (Anthony Mims – Yo Gotti’s brother) who Smith said put out a $100,000 hit on Young Dolph. Govan paired Smith with Johnson for the shooting, he said.
Smith also identified both himself and Johnson in the video from Makeda’s Cookies on Airways Blvd. from Nov. 17, 2021, when Dolph was shot.
Smith testified that the day they "caught" Dolph, it was his daughter's birthday.
"You went and killed a man on your daughter's birthday?" asked Johnson’s defense attorney Luke Evans during cross-examination.
"I'm trying to make it rain for her," replied Smith. "I wanted to make a beautiful day for her."
Smith testified he talked with Govan about $10,000 each for he and Johnson for the hit. In the end, he claimed he was only paid $800 of the money that was promised to him before his arrest in January 2022.
When asked about the money paid to kill Young Dolph, Smith testified his conscience bothered him after the fact.
When asked about whether he was getting any consideration for testifying, Smith replied, "I'm going to jail anyway. I can get it off my chest."
"It's my best out to be honest, to be truthful," said Smith. "Why play with these folks, they already know."
Jermarcus Johnson testified he had helped out Justin by taking Justin’s phone and posting to social media for him. He said he knew Justin was an aspiring rapper under the name Straight Drop, and had managed Justin's social media before police seized the phone. Jermarcus said he had no part in the plan to kill Dolph.
After Johnson’s conviction
Mulroy released the following statement after the verdict: “Every murder’s a tragedy, and we take them all seriously. This one generated extra public interest because Young Dolph was a prominent and beloved member of the community. We will continue to fight hard to make sure that all of those responsible for his death are brought to justice.”
Dolph's sister, Carlissa Thornton, read a statement to the media which said, in part, “While Adolph Robert Thornton Jr. can never be brought back, we are provided some comfort in the process of healing knowing that all of those involved in and responsible for this tragedy will be brought to justice.”
Case background
Johnson and Smith were originally set to head to trial June 3, 2024, but in May, the D.A.’s office said the defense counsel asked for more time for everyone’s experts to review information, and prosecutors agreed.
The trial had previously been reset from March 11 to that June 3rd date. Judge Jennifer J. Mitchell took over the case after the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals ordered Judge Lee Coffee to recuse himself from the Young Dolph case.
A Shelby County Judge granted a motion for a change of venue for the trial in February. That meant an outside jury was brought into Shelby County to hear the case.