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The three men accused of killing Young Dolph nearly three years ago will finally face a jury as their murder trial officially gets underway.
According to FOX13 Memphis, Justin Johnson will be the first defendant to stand trial on Monday, September 23. The 24-year-old was indicted on several charges including first-degree murder, unlawful carrying and possession of a firearm, and theft of property. Hernandez Govan, the alleged mastermind of the murder, is scheduled to face trial tomorrow followed by the third suspect Cornelius Smith, 32. The three suspects have been charged with murdering Young Dolph in his hometown.
Prosecutors say Govan recruited Johnson and Smith to carry out the murder. The two men pulled up to Makeda's Homemade Cookies on November 17, 2021, and fired deadly shots into the store while Dolph was inside. Johnson and Smith escaped in a stolen Mercedes-Benz after the shooting. A fourth suspect Jermarcus Johnson — who's Justin's half-brother— helped Johnson evade police. Jermarcus Johnson won't face trial after he pled guilty to three counts of accessory after the fact in October 2023. He faces six to 12 years in jail.
The three remaining suspects were originally set to face trial earlier this year on March 11, but the date was pushed back to June 3. Then, in May, the defense asked for more time for all experts to review all the information about the case. A judge agreed and set the new date to September 23. The jury was finally confirmed last Friday after a judge granted a motion for a change of venue due to all the media attention the case received. All jurists will be bussed in from Nashville to Memphis to hear the case.
The trial is expected to last for a few days. If convicted, all three suspects could face life in prison without parole. Watch the trial live below.