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Young Dolph performs during Rolling Loud New York 2021 at Citi Field
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Key Takeaways:
- The jury found Hernandez Govan not guilty in the trial involving rapper Young Dolph’s death.
- He was originally facing counts of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder.
- Prosecutors alleged Govan was the link between the shooters using phone records.
Hernandez Govan, the alleged “mastermind” behind Young Dolph’s 2021 murder, has been acquitted on all charges. On Thursday (Aug. 21) morning, the jury returned its verdict after nearly three hours of deliberation and two days of testimony.
Prosecutors originally included an attempted first-degree murder charge, but that count was dropped before the trial began. Govan, who was previously released on a $90,000 bond, had already rejected a plea deal.
Footage from the verdict showed Govan hugging his defense team and wiping away tears as each jury member confirmed the not-guilty decision. Scroll down to watch the video.
“We have to respect a jury’s decision even if we disagree with it,” Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said following the verdict, per ABC 24 Memphis.
According to The Commercial Appeal, prosecutors centered much of their case on the idea that Govan was the connection between Justin “Straight Drop” Johnson and Cornelius Smith — the two men who shot and killed Young Dolph — and Big Jook, Yo Gotti’s late brother, who allegedly offered $100,000 for the hit.
Most of the state’s evidence came from phone records obtained from carriers. As the outlet noted, “These records did not show the content of the communications but were used to display the number of interactions each of the defendants had with one another.”
It’s also worth mentioning that phone logs showed Govan was in contact with both the other defendants and Jook. However, the defense repeatedly challenged Memphis police investigators for failing to interrogate Jook, despite his name appearing throughout the case.
As Rap-Up previously reported, Johnson, the gunman, was convicted in 2024 on several charges, including first-degree murder and possession of a firearm as a felon.
Dolph would’ve celebrated his 40th birthday in July. His fiancée and the mother of their two children, Mia Jaye, honored the “Get Paid” rapper with a heartfelt tribute on Instagram.
