Photo Credit: Young Dolph YouTubeTwo suspects in the murder of rapper Young Dolph have pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and other felony charges.
Lawyers for Justin Johnson and Cornelius Smith entered the not guilty pleas in Shelby County Criminal Court in Memphis. Both men were indicted for the November 17 killing of Young Dolph – real name Adolph Thornton Jr. According to Memphis police, two men got out of a stolen vehicle and fired shots into Makeda’s Homemade Cookies, where the rapper was inside making a purchase. Police released photos of the incident taken from surveillance cameras in the area.
Prosecutor Paul Hagerman told journalists outside the courtroom on Friday that authorities believe they know the motive for the killing. However, they are not ready to discuss details. The two suspects in the case could face the death penalty, but no determination has been made. Both suspects have prior felony convictions for violent crimes.
Johnson was stopped and arrested on a murder warrant outside of Terre Haute by U.S. Marshals. Smith was arrested in December on an auto-theft warrant involving the Mercedes-Benz that was used in the killing. Both defendants are being held in Memphis without bond. Memphis city officials and community activists have pointed to the killing as an example of the dangers of gun violence in the city.
Young Dolph was a charitable giver for his community in Memphis. He organized Thanksgiving food giveaways and donated thousands of dollars to high schools.
The rapper even paid rent and funeral costs for people living in the Castalia Heights neighborhood where he was raised. The rapper was in Memphis to hand out Thanksgiving turkeys and visit a cancer center when he was killed.
Young Dolph was born in Chicago and moved to Memphis with his parents when he was 2. The rapper has released several mixtapes, starting with 2008’s Paper Route Campaign. He dropped his debut album in 2016 called King of Memphis and saw three albums reach the top ten on the Billboard 200 chart. The next hearing in the case is March 24.
