One of the men involved in the murder of rapper Young Dolph was sentenced to life in prison Thursday after a four-day trial in Memphis, Tennessee.
After four hours of deliberation, Justin Johnson was found guilty of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, and possession of a handgun by a felon. The judge sentenced him to life in prison, according to the Shelby County District Attorney. Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced on the latter two charges in November.
Young Dolph, whose real name is Adolph Thornton Jr., was shot inside Makeda’s Homemade Butter Cookies, a popular cookie shop on Memphis Airways Boulevard, in November 2021.
Johnson’s co-conspirator Cornelius Smith, who admitted to being one of the gunmen in the murders, testified that he and Johnson were hired to kill Thornton. In return, they will each receive $40,000, the district attorney said. According to court documents, the man behind the hit song was Big Jook, the brother of Memphis rapper Mario Mims, known as Anthony Mims or Yo Gotti, who founded the record label Collective Music Group.
Anthony Mims was shot and killed outside Perignons Restaurant and Event Center in January, according to Fox 13.
Thornton and Mario Mims have been trading diss tracks for a decade after Thornton said he turned down a record deal with the label. According to USA Today, Thornton wrote the single “100 Shots” after a targeted attack in 2017 in which approximately 100 bullets were fired into the bulletproof vehicle he was riding in. Gotti’s employee, Blac Youngsta, turned himself in to authorities for his alleged involvement in the 2019 shooting. , although the claim was eventually canceled.
Defendant Justin Johnson, left, appears in court as the murder trial of rapper Young Dolph begins on September 23, 2024, in Memphis, Tennessee.
(Mark Weber/Daily Memphis/AP)
Defense attorneys argued that no DNA from Johnson was found on the white Mercedes that was captured on video speeding away from the murder scene, and that the gun used in the murder was never recovered. However, video released by prosecutors shows Johnson in his apartment the night of the murder, wearing the same clothes the suspect wore at the murder scene. They also had phone records showing he was in contact with Big Jook and Hernandez Govan, the alleged masterminds in the killings, before and after the shooting. Govan is also a defendant in this case.
“Today’s verdict brings relief and restores my faith in the judicial system,” Thornton’s partner Mia Jay said in a statement posted to Instagram after the verdict was announced. “My faith has been tested, but Adolf’s tragic execution has strengthened my resolve to fight for justice not only for him but for all black men. “This is just the beginning of the journey to achieve full justice for Adolf, and we will be patient and supportive as the process unfolds.”
