Young Dolph Murder Case: Prosecutors Claim Big Jook Paid $100,000 for Execution

The Young Dolph murder case has taken a notable turn as Cornelius Smith testified against Anthony “Big Jook”Mims and Justin Johnson on Monday. Young Dolph was tragically shot and killed on November 17, 2021, while reportedly picking up cookies at Makeda’s Cookies in Memphis. He was just 36 years old.

According to reports, a vehicle approached the shop and opened fire through the window. Young Dolph did return fire but ultimately succumbed to his injuries. Three individuals have been charged with the murder: Hernandez Govan, Cornelius Smith, and Justin Johnson.

Only Johnson was on trial this Monday, where Shelby County Assistant District Attorney Paul Hagerman accused Big Jook, the sibling of Young Dolph’s long-time adversary, Yo Gotti, of placing a $100,000 bounty on the rapper’s life. As reported by Fox 13, Hagerman stated:

“Big Jook, the person I told you about before, the number two guy at CMG, he’s put out a hit, a hit [worth] $100,000 to whoever kills Dolph. He has met with Justin [Johnson]. He has met with Cornelius [Smith] and they think they’re ready to do it.”

Hagerman further mentioned that both Johnson and Smith, the alleged shooters, conferred with Big Jook. He asserted that Johnson was behind the wheel of the Mercedes that arrived at the Makeda Cookies location where Young Dolph was killed, supported by a photograph presented in court showing Johnson in clothing similar to that worn by one of the shooters.

The prosecutor contended that Johnson, also known as Straight Drop, was motivated by a desire to emerge as the next prominent artist on Yo Gotti’s CMG label. Allegedly, Johnson aimed to participate in the $100,000 hit to advance his music career.

Hagerman explained that Yo Gotti wanted Young Dolph to join his CMG label, but Dolph declined. Young Dolph, whose birth name was Adolph Thornton Jr., subsequently released diss tracks targeting CMG and Yo Gotti’s brother, Big Jook.

Testimony in Young Dolph’s shooting case

Cornelius Smith, one of the three men indicted for Young Dolph’s murder, took the stand on Monday. He identified himself and Justin Johnson as the two individuals captured in a surveillance video from November 17, 2021, which showed them exiting a white Mercedes parked outside the cookie shop and opening fire just 30 seconds after the Memphis rapper entered.

During his testimony, Smith recounted being shot in the arm and leg by Marcus Thornton, Young Dolph’s brother, while fleeing the crime scene. He also claimed he was defrauded out of a significant sum of money related to the hit he carried out with Johnson. He informed the judge that he was promised a $40,000 share of the bounty but only received $800 before his arrest. Smith further disclosed that Big Jook had paid him an additional $50,000 through his attorney.

Earlier this year, Big Jook was shot and killed on January 13, 2024, outside a restaurant in Memphis.

Smith revealed that Johnson was expected to receive the same $40,000 bounty, while Hernandez Govan, the presumed mastermind behind the killing, was allegedly set to receive $20,000. According to ABC News, Smith stated that they abandoned the white Mercedes in a driveway of an Orange Mound residence post-shooting and later returned to clean it up.

Though Johnson has pleaded not guilty to the murder charges, his half-brother, Jermarcus Johnson, pled guilty to three counts of accessory last year. Jermarcus is alleged to have assisted his brother in hiding and escaping after the shooting, and he is claimed to have facilitated the monetary transactions involved in Young Dolph’s murder. Hernandez Govan has also pleaded not guilty to orchestrating the killing.

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