Young Dolph

Case background and investigation

Adolph Thornton Jr., who performed as Young Dolph, was a Memphis rapper and independent label owner known locally for his charity work, according to CBS News. On November 17, 2021, he was at Makeda's Homemade Butter Cookies in South Memphis when two men got out of a white Mercedes-Benz and opened fire. CBS News reported that he was hit about 20 times and died at the age of 36, and that he was in the city to hand out Thanksgiving turkeys. His brother was present during the shooting, according to the Shelby County District Attorney's office.

The Mercedes had been taken in a carjacking a week earlier and was found on November 20, WLBT reported. Cornelius Smith was arrested in Southaven, Mississippi, on December 9, 2021, on an auto-theft warrant tied to that car, and a grand jury indicted him for first-degree murder on January 11, 2022. The same day, U.S. Marshals task forces arrested Justin Johnson, then 23, in Indiana after a search that included a reward offer.

Johnson went on trial in Memphis in September 2024. Smith testified for the prosecution and admitted his own role as one of the two gunmen. On September 26, 2024, the jury found Johnson guilty of first-degree murder, conspiracy and a firearms offence, and he was sentenced to life in prison. On November 1, 2024, Judge Jennifer Mitchell added 35 years for the conspiracy count, with a concurrent 15 years for the firearm count, Action News 5 reported. The District Attorney's office has said his appeal was denied.

Prosecutors alleged that a third man, Hernandez Govan, had directed the two shooters. A Memphis jury found him not guilty of first-degree murder and conspiracy on August 21, 2025, after about three hours of deliberation, according to CBS News. Prosecution testimony in the trials described the killing as arising from a feud between rival record labels; no one else has been convicted of ordering it.

On May 15, 2026, Smith pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 20 years without eligibility for parole or early release. The remaining counts against him were dropped as part of the agreement. District Attorney Steve Mulroy said the outcome reflected both the seriousness of the crime and Smith's cooperation. Smith was the last defendant with pending charges, which brought the prosecution to a close.