MEMPHIS, TENN. (AP) – The jurors found a man who was not guilty on Thursday that he was organizing an ambush for ambushing rapper Young Dolph in a Memphis bakery in November 2021.
The Memphis hearing discussed about three hours before finding 45-year-old Hernandez Govan, who was not guilty of first-degree murder and a first-degree murder conspiracy.
Gwan hugged his lawyer and thanked the Judge Jennifer Mitchell, after she told him he was free to go.
Govan was not accused of shooting a young dolph, but prosecutors say he was directing the two who did it. However, the jurors were not convinced, despite a person’s testimony that Govan had hired him to “make the hits” and would have taken $ 10,000 as an abbreviation.
The Govan’s lawyer questioned the quality of the police investigation and the validity of communications with mobile phones between Govan and the men who shot the young Dolph, arguing that nothing directly criminalized Govan or tied him to the killings.
“Fortunately, the jurors were listening to, they saw the holes in the case,” says Mani Arora, Govan’s lawyer.
District Prosecutor of Shelby County Steve Multiplay said he was disappointed with the sentence.
“We know this is an incredibly difficult process for the Young Dolph family,” Mulroy said in a statement.
The Young Dolph Murder Shoots Memphis
The young Dolph, whose legal name is Adolf Thornton, Jr., was a rapper, an independent owner of Laburi and a producer who grew up in Memphis and admires the city for his charity work. The 36-year-old was in his hometown to give out the Thanksgiving Night to Thanksgiving when his visit to his favorite cookie store became an attack that shocked Memphis and the entertainment world.
Authorities said two men came out of white Mercedes Benz and started firing the rapper in the bakery. He died after being shot about 20 times, according to a medical examination report.
After the murder, the bakery, Maceda’s home cookies, became a memorial of the young Dolph. He was also awarded a game of Memphis Griezlis and the city called a street after him. The decades of the rapper were painted around the city.
Testimony against Govan Cornelius Smith, Jr., who admitted that he was one of the two shooters who planted the young Dolph. Previously, Smith was the main witness against Justin Johnson, who was convicted of first -degree murder in 2024 after Smith cited him as a second shooter.
The testimonies describe the rivalry in the rap world of Memphis
Prosecutors of the murder as part of Anthony’s efforts “Big Jooke” Mimes to avenge the young Dolph for songs on the disk targeting Big Jook and the recording label he helped run for his brother, rapper Yo Gotti. Smith testifies that Big Jooke has hit $ 100,000 on young Dolph, as well as less generosity to all performers of the recording label of Young Dolph, Paper Route Empire.
During Justin Johnson’s worse process, a prosecutor told the jurors Cocaine Muzik Group (now known as the Collective Music Grip), a rival recording, founded by Yo Gotti, wants the young Delph to work for them, but he declined them.
Big Jooke was shot dead and killed outside a restaurant in January 2024. No arrests were made at his death and he was never accused of killing the young Dolph.
Smith testified that “I knew nothing about the paper route without hits,” before Govan told him about them. He said Govan had hired him to “make the hits” and would take $ 10,000 as his reduction. Govan was also the man who told him to him and Johnson that the young Dolph would be in Memphis for giving out a turkey on Thanksgiving, so “this is our opportunity,” Smith said.
Prosecutors presented dozens of mobile phones as evidence between Johnson, Smith, Govan and Big Jooke before the shooting.
Defender’s Defender casts doubt on the case
Meanwhile, Govan’s defense lawyer, Mani Arora, draws Smith as an unreliable witness and a “pathological liar” who would say everything to try to get a easier sentence.
ARORA indicated previous testimony when Smith recalls a coincidence with Big Jook. At that time, Smith suggested that Big Jouck was the man who hired him. After Smith was arrested, his lawyer called Big Jook’s lawyer and received somewhere between $ 38,000 and $ 50,000 in cash. Smith said on Monday that he did not know who had delivered the money.
Smith also testified that he had previously heard that Govan could work with the FBI. ARORA asked why Smith would take a job from Govan, if so. Smith said Govan was “innocent until it is proven guilty.”
“None of you would buy a packet of chewing gum based on Cornelius Smith’s word,” Arora told the jurors during final arguments.
Smith is accused of murder and conspiracy for killing. He has pleaded guilty and there is still no date of trial.
Araora also asked why Big Jook was not more investigated and casts doubts about the communications of mobile phones used as proof in the test. He called a Police Investigator a liar during final arguments and said that only because prosecutors had communications involving Govan, “it does not mean that you are in a conspiracy to kill someone.”
Johnson was sentenced last September to life imprisonment with the possibility of conditional release. Later, he was convicted of two other trial convictions: a conspiracy for killing and possessing a gun as a criminal.
The young dolph begins his career by launching numerous mixtapes. His studio albums include his 2016 debut of King of Mephis. He also collaborates with other mixes and albums with colleagues rappers Key Glock, Megan the Stallion, Ti, Gucci Mane, 2 Chainz and others. The young Delph had three albums to reach the Top 10 of the Billboard 200, with Rich Romy with 2020 reaching # 4.