Memphis rapper Young Dolph’s murder: Justin Johnson on trial

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Trial continues for the person charged within the homicide of Memphis rapper Younger Dolph on Tuesday, Sept. 24.

Justin Johnson and Cornelius Smith Jr. are each charged with first-degree homicide, amongst different felonies, within the demise of Dolph, whose actual identify was Adolph Thornton Jr.

Shelby County DA Steve Mulroy stated Johnson is the one one at the moment on trial and expects the trial to be completed by Sept. 26. Johnson is pleading not responsible. Smith testified towards him on the first day of the trial.

Johnson’s lawyer, Luke Evans, stated he anticipates Hernandez Govan, who prosecutors say ordered the hit on Younger Dolph, will testify as nicely.

Verify beneath for the stay stream and the most recent updates.

The jury entered the courtroom simply earlier than 10 a.m. Tuesday morning, and Deputy District Legal professional Paul Hagerman referred to as upon Terrance Dabney, a case officer who labored the Younger Dolph demise case.

Dabney labored with the Memphis Police Division for 26 years and is now retired.

Dabney stated the scene at Makeda’s Cookies on Airways Boulevard on Nov. 17, 2021, was like no different scene and introduced many bystanders.

“There was lots of people down there,” Dabney stated.

Dabney stated he interacted or delegated different officers to speak with witnesses, together with Marcus Thornton, the brother of Dolph, as they labored to assemble particulars about what occurred.

The prosecution offered scene photographs of the cookie store to Dabney, who described them.

When he had arrived on the scene, Dabney stated Dolph was already lifeless.

Hagerman then confirmed photographs of the crime scene to the jury on the courtroom’s display monitor.

Dabney proceeded to explain the calibers of the bullets discovered on the scene, together with 40 calibers from a handgun, 7.62 caliber from an assault rifle, and 422 caliber from Marcus Thornton.

Taking a look at one other photograph, Dabney additionally described the clothes of the 2 suspects on the scene, one with an assault rifle and one with what regarded like a handgun.

He additionally described their white Mercedes Benz car, which appeared to have harm on the fitting aspect. Dabney stated they used these particulars to seek out the suspect as their faces weren’t viewable from cameras.

Dabney confirmed that investigators can join bullets to weapons if they can discover the weapons. Nevertheless, Dabney stated they had been by no means capable of finding the weapons that matched these casings discovered on the scene.

Hagerman then modified course, and confirmed video of the Haven Court docket Residences, the place Johnson’s cousin lived, on the identical day of Dolph’s homicide. The video confirmed his cousin approaching a white Ford Expedition, out of which two males exited, who had been the suspects.

Video then confirmed one of many suspects stroll out to a Dodge Charger that had simply arrived on the flats. Dabney described the suspect taking a yellow hoodie and two white luggage from the Charger, going again to the condominium and later moving into the white Expedition, carrying the yellow hoodie and driving away. The opposite suspect left in a Chevy Trax. Dabney stated investigators had been desirous about speaking to all three individuals.

Dabney subsequent examined photographs of a scene three days after the murder: a white Mercedes parked close to an deserted home in Orange Mound. Hernandez Govan, who prosecutors say ordered the hit on Younger Dolph, lived on the opposite aspect of the road. The Mercedes had an Illinois tag.

Hagerman confirmed the photographs of deserted home scene to the jury, who may see the white Mercedes parked beneath bushes close to the vacant home. The automotive had harm on the fitting aspect of the automotive, which helped investigators join the automotive to the homicide scene.

Dabney stated the automotive had been taken in a carjacking previous to the day of the homicide, however Justin Johnson was not a suspect within the carjacking, in accordance Hagerman. Dabney agreed.

Dabney stated investigators had been in a position to carry prints from the Mercedes, belonging to Cornelius Smith, Treon Ingram and one different individual, who all grew to become individuals of curiosity. Dabney confirmed they weren’t capable of finding blood or DNA from contained in the automotive, changing into conscious that the automotive might had been cleaned.

The retired case officer stated police discovered one of many individuals with prints on the Mercedes, which led them to a Valero gasoline station, the place they obtained video of the white Mercedes. The video, offered to the courtroom, confirmed the 2 individuals — excluding Smith — who had prints on the white Mercedes on the gasoline station, the place a automotive commerce with an Infiniti and the Mercedes appeared to happen, Dabney described.

After a 15-minute break, the prosecution proceeded to point out movies from the night time earlier than Dolph’s homicide of a white Ford Expedition at a parking storage and Concourse Residences, the place Justin Johnson lived on the eighth flooring, in line with Hagerman. Dabney agreed.

Video from simply earlier than 3 a.m. on the day of Dolph’s homicide confirmed a person, carrying related clothes to the suspect with a handgun at Makeda’s Cookies, going into an elevator and leaving the constructing at 2:41 a.m. Dabney stated the person was Johnson.

Movies all through that morning confirmed Johnson with who Dabney stated was his daughter on an elevator on the condominium, together with the white Mercedes Benz arriving on the parking storage.

Dabney confirmed the space from the condominium to Makeda’s Cookies is a few 10-minute drive.

The prosecution modified course to speak about Cornelius Smith, displaying Dabney photographs of Cornelius Smith. Dabney stated police had been in a position to arrest Smith and get better his cellphone.

Dabney then described discovering Justin Johnson in Indianapolis throughout the investigation after failing to find him in Memphis. Dabney stated they discovered Johnson’s cellphone together with his brother Jermarcus Johnson.

Hagerman subsequent confirmed movies a number of hours after the Dolph’s homicide, displaying a person in a yellow hoodie, which Dabney recognized as Justin Johnson on the Concourse Residences, at one level with a bag and suitcase.

After Johnson’s arrest, Dabney stated investigators had been in a position to get better photographs Johnson had posted social media.

Dabney confirmed that the homicide weapons utilized in Dolph’s homicide had been by no means discovered and Huge Jook, who was an curiosity together with Hernandez Govan, is at the moment lifeless. Hagerman ended his questioning and the court docket went into recess.

The trial resumed simply earlier than 2 p.m., and Luke Evans started questioning Dabney in cross examination.

Evans requested concerning the handgun the prosecutor identified in photographs of the crime scene that the suspect held.

Dabney agreed that simply by wanting on the handgun, it may have been per any 40 caliber weapon. Dabney additionally reiterated that police by no means recovered the homicide weapon.

Dabney confirmed in addition they discovered a number of bullet and bullet fragments and by no means examined them to be 40 caliber weapons.

Dabney stated he wasn’t positive if police ever retrieved video from Govan’s home dealing with the property the place officers discovered the white Mercedes. He additionally didn’t know if anybody requested Govan if he had cameras dealing with that route.

Evans switched the dialog to the white Mercedes. Dabney stated he was unsure if investigators discovered bullet holes on the white Mercedes.

The lawyer then confirmed a photograph of the automotive and Dabney agreed that the passenger window appeared to be lacking. Dabney didn’t recall seeing damaged glass contained in the automotive.

Evans additionally had Dabney affirm that Johnson’s finger prints weren’t on the automotive and there was no DNA proof or blood discovered within the automotive. The retired officer obliged.

Evans requested concerning the Valero gasoline station scene and Dabney agreed somethings couldn’t be seen as a result of one other automotive was blocking the Mercedes and Infiniti in some unspecified time in the future.

Turning to the Concourse Residences scene, Dabney agreed he couldn’t see who was driving the white Mercedes or who entered or left the Mercedes, together with the individual in a black hoodie and grey sweatpants.

Nevertheless, Dabney stated the individual, who he believed was Johnson, walked from the identical space the place the Mercedes was parked. Dabney then agreed the cameras didn’t present who was within the Mercedes.

Dabney additionally agreed that video description itself by no means marked the individual on the Concourse Residences carrying the identical underwear because the individual at Makeda’s Cookies throughout the homicide and that he’s solely making the connection from what he sees within the video, one thing he famous throughout the prosecutor’s questioning.

Dabney agreed that distance can differ between Makeda’s Cookies and the Concourse Residences primarily based on visitors and will even be 20 minutes.

Dabney stated the space from Makeda’s Cookies and the home of Cornelius Smith’s dad is a few 5 minute drive.

In redirect, Hagerman clarified that there have been two case officers working the homicide case. Dabney had been the primary one earlier than the case was turned over to a different officer. Dabney agreed.

The prosecution then referred to as Kisten Gardner, one of many males with fingerprints on the white Mercedes Benz, to the stand.

Gardner stated he knew Ingram and was with him on the Valero gasoline station. He stated he didn’t know that the white Mercedes had been stolen.

He testified Johnson, often called Straight Drop, had been within the passenger aspect of the Infiniti throughout gasoline station scene, however entered the white Mercedes and left in it. Gardner stated he didn’t know something concerning the plan to kill Younger Dolph.

This story might be up to date with the most recent info because the trial progresses.

The taking pictures demise of Memphis rapper Younger Dolph despatched shockwaves all through the Bluff Metropolis and nationwide practically three years in the past.

Justin Johnson and Cornelius Smith Jr. are each charged with first-degree homicide, amongst different felonies, in Dolph’s demise.

The 2 had been initially set to move to trial June 3, 2024, however in Could, the D.A.’s workplace stated the protection counsel requested for extra time for everybody’s specialists to overview info, and prosecutors agreed.

The trial was reset beforehand from March 11 to June 3, 2024. Choose Jennifer J. Mitchell took over the case after the Tennessee Court docket of Felony Appeals ordered Choose Lee Espresso to recuse himself from the Younger Dolph case.

Hernandez Govan, who prosecutors stated ordered the hit on Younger Dolph, can be set to face trial Monday, Sept. 23, in Choose Jennifer Mitchell’s courtroom.

This all comes after a Shelby County Choose has granted a movement for a change of venue for the trial in February. That meant an outdoor jury is being introduced in to Shelby County to listen to the case, which obtained heavy media consideration right here.

Prosecutor Paul Hagerman stated the change of venue wouldn’t pose an impediment for prosecutors.

Younger Dolph, whose actual identify was Adolph Thornton Jr., was fatally shot at Makeda’s Cookies on Airways Boulevard on Nov. 17, 2021. Police stated on the time two males received out of a stolen Mercedes-Benz and fired photographs into Makeda’s Home made Cookies, the place Younger Dolph was making a purchase order. Police launched photographs taken from surveillance video that captured the taking pictures, which they stated led to the arrests.

One other suspect, Jermarcus Johnson, pled responsible to a few counts of accent after the actual fact in October 2023, and he faces six to 12 years in jail.

If convicted, the suspects may face life in jail with out parole, which, in line with lawyer Leslie Ballin, is now 51 years within the state of Tennessee.