Young Dolph Shooter Pleads Guilty, Concluding Rapper’s Murder Case

The Tennessee man who previously admitted to shooting Young Dolph pleaded guilty Friday to charges stemming from the rapper’s 2021 death, bringing the murder case to its conclusion.

Cornelius Smith Jr. pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in a plea deal with Memphis prosecutors, nearly two years after Smith admitted on the witness stand that he and co-defendant Justin Johnson shot Young Dolph during a daytime ambush at a Memphis bakery; Smith served as the main witness at the trial of Johnson, who was later convicted and sentenced to life in prison.

As part of the plea deal, Smith was sentenced to 20 years in prison; Smith previously faced charges of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, convicted felon in possession of a firearm, and employment of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony, but those charges were dropped with the plea deal.

Smith also testified at the trial of Hernandez Govan, the alleged mastermind of the Young Dolph shooting; Govan was acquitted of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder following a trial in August 2025.

One other person allegedly involved in the shooting, Justin Johnson’s brother Jemarcus Johnson, previously pleaded guilty to three counts of accessory after the fact and sentenced to six years of diversion and community service. With Smith’s plea deal, the case against all four people charged in Young Dolph’s murder has come to a close.

“Young Dolph was a beloved member of this community, his death a tragedy, his murder an outrage,” District Attorney General Steve Mulroy said in a statement Friday. “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.”

“Smith cooperated in the prosecution and testified that he and Justin Johnson killed Dolph as part of a planned gang-related hit,” Deputy DA Paul Hagerman said in a statement. 

“Johnson was convicted as charged of all charges; his appeal has been heard and denied, and he is now serving a sentence in excess of life imprisonment. Today, Smith received a 20-year sentence to be served without any chance of early release and without any parole. Smith’s participation in this crime is inexcusable, but Smith owned up to his crime, told the truth in court despite fear of retribution and threats, and has now accepted responsibility and received this long prison sentence. His cooperation was essential to the State’s case, and this was taken into consideration in this resolution.”

Hagerman added, “As a final note, Dolph was here in Memphis because it was his home, but he was also here to do what had become a tradition for him — a turkey giveaway for his neighborhood. Dolph believed in this place, he believed in his people, and he loved his family. His story is, and has always been, bigger than his death.”