US EditionHernandez Govan Found Not Guilty in Young Dolph Murder
The jury rejected prosecution claims despite testimony and phone records linking Govan to the fatal November 2021 ambush killing of rapper Young Dolph.
- A Memphis jury on Thursday found Hernandez Govan not guilty after nearly three hours of deliberation and Judge Jennifer Mitchell read the verdict in Memphis, Tennessee.
- Govan was charged with first‑degree murder and conspiracy after prosecutors alleged he instructed two men to kill Young Dolph and planned to take a $10,000 cut from the hit linked to Anthony 'Big Jook' Mims and Yo Gotti's label.
- Prosecutors leaned on Cornelius Smith Jr.'s testimony that Govan supplied weapons, tipped off shooters, and admitted being one of the ambush gunmen, while investigators presented phone records linking Govan to shooters and Anthony 'Big Jook' Mims; defense attorney Manny Arora challenged the investigation and Smith's credibility.
- Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said the jury's verdict must be respected despite Dolph's family's emotional reaction, while Cornelius Smith Jr. remains charged with his trial status unresolved.
- The shooting and prosecutions have continued to reverberate through Memphis's music scene, as Young Dolph was shot about 20 times at Makeda's Homemade Butter Cookies, with Justin Johnson convicted and sentenced to life.
55 Articles
55 Articles
Jury Acquits Man Accused of Young Dolph Murder Plot
A Memphis jury has acquitted a man accused of masterminding the killing of rapper Young Dolph, nearly three years after the rapper was gunned down outside a local bakery. Jurors found Hernandez Govan, 45, not guilty of first-degree murder and conspiracy after just three hours of deliberation. After the verdict was read out in court, Govan broke into a smile, hugged his attorney, and thanked the judge as he was released. Govan was accused of plan…
Young Dolph Murder Suspect Acquitted at Trial of Organizing Shooting
A man accused of organizing the hit that killed rapper Young Dolph in 2021 has been found not guilty of criminal charges. Hernandez Govan was acquitted of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder after a weeklong trial on Thursday (Aug. 21), according to court records obtained by Billboard. Govan was charged with helping hire two men to fatally shoot Young Dolph (Adolph Thorton Jr.) in broad daylight at a bakery in the 36-year-old r…
UPDATE: Hernandez Govan Found Not Guilty On All Charges In Young Dolph's Death
Hernandez Govan got off on three charges related to the ambush death of Young Dolph. A jury ruled on Thursday to acquit the 45-year-old of first-degree murder, and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, per the Associated Press. Govan reportedly thanked Judge Jennifer Mitchell after she called for his release. Prosecutors attempted to prove Hernandez was the mastermind behind the cookie shop drive-by executed by Cornelius Smith Jr. and Justin…
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