On a Wednesday afternoon, November 17, 2021, the life of 36-year-old Black male, Adolph Robert Thornton Jr., professionally known as the rapper Young Dolph, was abruptly ended in a hail of gunfire in his hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. He had been visiting a local bakery, Makeda's Homemade Butter Cookies, a place he was known to frequent, to buy cookies for his mother. While inside the shop, two men armed with firearms exited a stolen white Mercedes-Benz and opened fire, shooting through the front window and striking the rapper multiple times. An autopsy later revealed that Young Dolph had sustained 22 gunshot wounds. At the time of his death, he was in Memphis for his annual Thanksgiving turkey giveaway, a charitable event he organized for his old neighborhood.
The brazen daytime shooting led to an intensive investigation, resulting in the identification and arrest of several suspects. Justin Johnson, also a rapper known as 'Straight Drop,' and Cornelius Smith were identified as the two gunmen. Authorities captured Johnson in Indiana in January 2022 following a nationwide manhunt that generated over 500 tips. Smith was arrested in Mississippi in December 2021 for the theft of the Mercedes used in the shooting and was later indicted for the murder. A third man, Hernandez Govan, was later indicted and accused of orchestrating the murder plot. Justin Johnson's half-brother, Jermarcus Johnson, was also charged for assisting the suspects after the killing.
The legal proceedings brought a series of revelations and varying outcomes for those involved. In a significant development, Cornelius Smith took the stand during Justin Johnson's trial and admitted to his role in the killing, also implicating Johnson as the other shooter. He testified that they were hired for the hit, alleging it was connected to a rap rivalry. In September 2024, a jury found Justin Johnson guilty of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was immediately sentenced to life in prison.
Jermarcus Johnson, who aided his half-brother after the murder, pleaded guilty to three counts of accessory after the fact in June 2023. He testified against his brother and in November 2024, was sentenced to six years of probation as part of a diversionary program. The alleged mastermind, Hernandez Govan, went to trial in August 2025. Despite testimony from Cornelius Smith claiming Govan had organized the hit, a jury found him not guilty on all charges after about three hours of deliberation. As of late 2024, Cornelius Smith, who admitted to being one of the shooters, was still awaiting trial on charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy.
