The years-long courtroom battles surrounding the shocking death of Memphis rapper and independent label owner Young Dolph have officially come to a close. On Friday, May 15th, the final suspect in the investigation, Cornelius Smith Jr., was sentenced to 20 years in prison after accepting a plea deal in a Memphis courtroom.
According to FOX 13, Smith pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of second-degree murder. He was initially facing first-degree murder charges for his role in the November 2021 daytime ambush that took the life of the 36-year-old artist, born Adolph Thornton Jr. According to the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office, the plea agreement dropped other pending charges against Smith, factoring in his full cooperation with the state to secure convictions against those involved.
With Smith’s sentencing, prosecutors have officially resolved the last remaining active piece of the homicide case. Smith served as the state’s main witness during the 2024 trial of Justin Johnson, the second gunman in Young Dolph’s death. As reported by AP News, Smith’s detailed testimony naming Johnson as the co-shooter ultimately led to Johnson being convicted of first-degree murder, conspiracy, and felon weapon possession, landing him a life sentence plus an additional 35 years.
Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy released a statement following Friday’s hearing, reflecting on the community’s loss and the end of the legal saga.
“Young Dolph was a beloved member of this community, his death a tragedy, his murder an outrage,” Mulroy stated. “We’re glad to finally have this last part of the case resolved. The sentence properly reflects the gravity of the offense while giving due consideration to the cooperation this defendant provided. We hope this resolution can give Dolph’s family some sense of closure.”
Multiple Suspects Reported In Young Dolph’s Death
Throughout the multiple trials connected to the investigation, prosecutors painted a dark picture of record label rivalries and a financial hit that led to the shooting. Testifying under oath, Smith confessed that he and Johnson were executing a $100,000 hit put out by Anthony “Big Jook” Mims—the late brother of rival rapper Yo Gotti and an executive at Collective Music Group.
According to court testimony, the rivalry intensified after Young Dolph repeatedly turned down offers to sign with Yo Gotti’s label, choosing instead to remain fiercely independent. Smith testified that smaller bounties had also been placed on all artists signed to Dolph’s label. Hernandez Govan, who was accused of acting as the middleman who organized the hit for a $10,000 cut, was acquitted of all charges by a Memphis jury in August 2025. Big Jook himself was shot and killed outside a Memphis restaurant in January 2024 and was never legally charged in connection with the case.
The daytime shooting, which occurred while Young Dolph was visiting Makeda’s Homemade Cookies near his childhood neighborhood, deeply struck the hip-hop community. As previously reported, at the time of Young Dolph’s death, the artist was in town for his annual tradition of handing out Thanksgiving turkeys to local families. An autopsy report later revealed he had been shot roughly 20 times after two men jumped out of a white Mercedes-Benz.
