SHELBY COUNTY, Tenn. (Court TV/AP) — A Tennessee man was acquitted on charges he had a role in the murder of rapper Young Dolph.
Hernandez Govan was the fourth defendant charged in the Nov. 17, 2021, slaying of Young Dolph, whose real name is Adolph Thornton Jr. He stood trial on charges of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and was cleared of all charges.
Hernandez Govan, accused of orchestrating the killing of rapper Young Dolph, takes the stand to state that he will not testify on his own behalf during his trial in Memphis, Tenn., Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025. (Chris Day/Commercial Appeal/USA Today Network via Pool)
The rapper and record label owner was ambushed and shot to death while buying cookies at a bakery in his hometown of Memphis. Police said two men exited a white Mercedes-Benz and fired shots into Makeda’s Homemade Cookies, which is near the rapper’s boyhood home in the Castalia neighborhood.
Last year, co-defendant Justin Johnson was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for his part in the murder. Co-defendant Cornelius Smith faces trial later this year.
At Johnson’s trial, Smith testified that the brother of rapper Yo Gotti, Anthony “Big Jook” Mims, had put out a $100,000 hit on Young Dolph and had also put bounties on all the artists at Young Dolph’s record label, Paper Route Empire. Smith said he and Johnson set out on the morning of Nov. 17, 2021, “looking for somebody” and “didn’t know who we were going to catch.”
They knew that Young Dolph and some of his artists were participating in a Thanksgiving turkey giveaway, so they were heading in that direction when they saw Young Dolph’s car. They followed him to the shop and opened fire in broad daylight, Smith said. Young Dolph was hit 22 times and died at the scene.
Jermarcus Johnson, who pleaded guilty in June 2023 to three counts of serving as an accessory after the killing by helping Smith and Justin Johnson, his half-brother, also testified. Jermarcus Johnson has acknowledged helping the two communicate by cellphone while they were on the run from authorities.
Govan was accused of organizing the killing and was identified by Smith as a go-between with Big Jook. At the time of his arrest, Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said Govan “solicited the murder and put it in motion.”
TRIAL COVERAGE
DAY 4 – 8/21/25
- LIVESTREAM: TN v. Hernandez Govan, Day 4 | Young Dolph Murder Trial
- A Memphis jury deliberated about three hours before finding Hernandez Govan, 45, not guilty of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder.
- WATCH: Young Dolph Murder Trial: Watch the Verdict!
- Govan hugged his lawyer and thanked Shelby County Judge Jennifer Mitchell after she told him he was free to go.
- MORE: Hernandez Govan acquitted in the murder of rapper Young Dolph
DAY 3 – 8/20/25
- LIVESTREAM: TN v. Hernandez Govan, Day 3 | Young Dolph Murder Trial
- The state concluded its proof with emotional autopsy testimony, the defense failed in its acquittal motion, and Govan officially declined to testify. The case then moved into jury instructions and closing arguments.
- Dr. Juliet Scantlebury, Medical Examiner
- Performed Dolph’s autopsy on Nov. 18, 2021.
- Found 20+ gunshot wounds to the head, neck, torso, and arms.
- Cause of death: multiple gunshot wounds; manner: homicide.
- Autopsy photos and bullet fragments were entered into evidence.
- Judge’s ruling
- Admitted call detail records tied to Joshua Taylor.
- Defense Motion for Acquittal
- Claimed state’s case was inconsistent, lacked proof of conspiracy.
- Pointed to gaps in phone records.
- Judge denied, allowing charges to go to jury.
- Lt. Michael Coburn, Crime Scene Expert
- Processed white Mercedes tied to shooting.
- Found no bleach traces despite claims of a cleanup.
- No usable fingerprints on passenger side.
- Neighbor Ms. Ferguson
- Knew Cornelius Smith as a helpful neighbor.
- Denied ever holding $500 for him, contradicting his prior testimony.
- Prosecutors argued Govan was the middleman between Big Jook and the two shooters.
- Prosecutors told jurors to focus on Hernandez Govan and the consequences of his choices — violence, death, and loss.
- The state argued Govan was tied to Yo Gotti’s CMG camp, which had an ongoing feud with Young Dolph and his Paper Route Empire label.
- Cornelius Smith testified that Govan told him about bounties on PRE artists, with Dolph’s set at $100,000, and that Govan supplied the guns.
- Angela Arnold corroborated Smith’s account, saying she saw Smith meet Govan after the shooting to retrieve his phone and money for a car cover.
- Phone records showed dozens of calls between Govan, Smith, Justin Johnson, and “Big Jook” Mims leading up to and on the day of the murder.
- Prosecutors stressed that under criminal responsibility, Govan didn’t have to pull the trigger — organizing, directing, and expecting a cut of payment was enough.
- The state urged jurors to return a guilty verdict on conspiracy and first-degree murder.
- Govan’s defense attorney, Manny Arora, tried to paint co-defendant Cornelius Smith as an unreliable witness and a “pathological liar” who would say anything to try to get a lighter sentence. He also questioned the validity of the cellphone communications, saying none directly incriminated Govan.
- Arora pointed to previous testimony where Smith recalled a chance encounter with Big Jook. At the time, Smith implied that Big Jook was the person who hired him. After Smith was arrested, his attorney called Big Jook’s attorney and received somewhere between $38,000 and $50,000 in cash.
DAY 2 – 8/19/25
- LIVESTREAM: TN v. Hernandez Govan, Day 2 PART 1 | Young Dolph Murder Trial
- LIVESTREAM: TN v. Hernandez Govan, Day 2 PART 2 | Young Dolph Murder Trial
- Angela Arnold, Dated Co-Defendant Cornelius Smith
- Angela Arnold testified that Cornelius Smith, her boyfriend and co-defendant, admitted involvement in a planned “hit on Dolph,” allegedly organized through Hernandez Govan for up to $150,000.
- Arnold recounted Smith telling her he had been shot at Makeda’s Cookies, met with Govan at a car wash, and bought a car cover to hide the getaway vehicle after the shooting.
- She described Govan reassuring Smith post-shooting, saying, “I ain’t saying nothing — we’re gonna get this money.” Arnold’s testimony also included claims of large payment offers for Dolph’s murder, allegedly ranging from $1.5 million to $100,000.
- Former Memphis Police Sgt. Terrence Dabney, Lead Investigator
- Sergeant Terrence Dabney testified about locating the white Mercedes used in the killing, found abandoned behind a house near Govan’s residence, hidden under tree limbs and visibly damaged.
- Dabney confirmed investigators never secured surveillance footage from key locations (Pressure World, AutoZone) despite leads connecting them to the suspects.
- Dabney was cross-examined about why police never questioned a suspect by the name of Big Jook.
- WATCH: Young Dolph Murder Trial: Defense Grills Investigator About Other Suspect
- Special Agent Michael Garner, Former Memphis Police Digital Forensics Examiner
- Special Agent Michael Garner detailed how phone data was extracted from suspects, showing call timelines and locations, but clarified that tower data only indicates a general area, not a precise location.
- Stipulations admitted as evidence tied a cell phone number to Hernandez Govan and authenticated call records for Govan, Smith, Justin Johnson, and others.
- Sgt. Jesse Browning
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- Browning used specialized software to map calls and texts, highlighting intense communication between suspects before and on Nov. 17, 2021 — the day Young Dolph was killed.
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DAY 1 – 8/18/25
- LIVESTREAM: TN v. Hernandez Govan, Day 1 | Young Dolph Murder Trial
- Prosecution’s Opening Statements: Asst. District Attorney Iris Williams
- Williams said the case is about Govan’s choices that led to Young Dolph’s murder on Nov. 17, 2021.
- Dolph was shot more than 20 times outside Makeda’s Homemade Butter Cookies Shop in broad daylight.
- Witnesses will include Erica Thornton, who saw Dolph last; Raul Hopkins, who will describe the PRE vs. CMG feud; and co-defendant Cornelius Smith, who claims Govan recruited him and Justin Johnson with a $100K bounty.
- Williams said phone records and testimony, including from Smith’s girlfriend, show Govan helped cover up the crime, including hiding the getaway car.
- Defense Opening Statements: Luke Evans, Defense Attorney
- Evans said the case hinges on Cornelius Smith, who gave multiple conflicting statements.
- Smith, caught on video firing an AK-47 and facing life in prison, had motive to blame others.
- Cell tower evidence is unreliable, with 553 towers in the area, making it inconclusive.
- Shooting was spontaneous, with no calls, planning, or forensic links tying Govan.
- Payment claims shifted from $1.5M to $50K, undermining credibility.
- Investigators dubbed the case “Operation Cookie Monster,” suggesting lack of seriousness in the State’s investigation.
- WATCH: Young Dolph Murder Trial: Opening Statements
- Co-defendant Cornelius Smith Jr., who also testified in Justin Johnson’s trial, testified that “I didn’t know anything about Paper Route having no hits,” before Govan told him about them.
- Smith is charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder but has pleaded not guilty and does not yet have a trial date.
- He said Govan hired him to “do the hits” and was going to take $10,000 as his cut. Govan was also the person who told him and Johnson that Young Dolph would be in Memphis for the volunteer event, so “that’s our opportunity,” Smith said.
- Govan’s defense attorney, Manny Arora, tried to paint Smith as an unreliable witness who would say anything to try to get a lighter sentence.
- Arora pointed to previous testimony where Smith recalled a chance encounter with Big Jook. At the time, Smith implied that Big Jook was the person who hired him. After Smith was arrested, his attorney called Big Jook’s attorney and received somewhere between $38,000 and $50,000 in cash. Smith said on Monday that he did not know who had supplied the money.
- Smith also testified that he previously heard that Govan might be working with the FBI. Arora asked why Smith would take a job from Govan if that were the case. Smith said that Govan was “innocent until proven guilty.”
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