Young Dolph was shot and killed nearly two years ago, and now his alleged killers will finally see their day in court.
On Friday (July 14), a judge set a trial date for the two men — Justin Johnson and Cornelius Smith — who have been charged with the murder of Young Dolph (real name Adolph Thornton Jr.), which took place at Makeda’s Homemade Cookies in Memphis, Tennesse on November 17, 2021.
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According to Billboard, Johnson and Smith — both of whom have pleaded not guilty to charges including first-degree murder — are scheduled to stand trial on March 11 in the fatal shooting of the Memphis-born rapper.
A motive for the killing has not been disclosed.
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Last month, the murder case appeared to hit a roadblock when an individual whom law enforcement considered a “person of interest” was shot and killed. According to ABC24, Joshua Taylor was found dead on the corner of Spottswood Avenue and Buntyn Street in the Orange Mound district of Memphis.
Authorities had no leads and as a result were asking the public for their help in identifying his potential killer or killers. Taylor, who also went by the name “CEO Teezy,” was first named as a person of interest in Dolph’s murder in February 2022 alongside Devin Burns.
Meanwhile, Johnson and Smith were arrested and accused of being the prime shooters. Both were given ultimatums to find defense lawyers and according to court documents, Smith obtained a lawyer while Johnson was appointed one.
At the time, Jemarcus Johnson, 26 — who was accused of helping his brother Justin and Cornelius Smith evade police capture after Young Dolph’s murder — pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit first-degree murder.
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He also admitted to taking possession of his brother’s cell phone and car so authorities would not think Justin was in Memphis. He faces between six and 12 years in prison for his role in Dolph’s murder.
“Conspiracy is a wide range of things,” Shelby County prosecutor Paul Hagerman previously said in court. “They include people that were acting in the conspiracy before the murder happened. But also the people that were acting afterward. The charges that have been filed now against Jemarcus make it clear that he did things afterwards.”
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Jemarcus’ plea comes shortly after it was revealed his brother Justin was caught with drugs and a cell phone in jail last month while held in the Shelby County Jail.
Meanwhile, Young Dolph’s first posthumous album Paper Route Frank was released in December 2022. The project featured 2 Chainz, Gucci Mane, Key Glock, Big Moochie Grape and Snupe Bandz.
