Shelby County prosecutors have alleged that Big Jook, the brother of Yo Gotti and a member of Yo Gotti-founded record label CMG, put a $100,000 hit out on Young Dolph, Commercial Appeal reported
During opening statements Monday in the trial against Justin Johnson for his involvement in the murder of Young Dolph, birth name Adolf Thornton Jr., Shelby County Deputy District Attorney Paul Hagerman outlined the involvement of both Big Jook and Johnson, who has gone by the stage name Straight Drop, in the murder of Thornton almost three years ago.
Hagerman said that Johnson was invited to Atlanta by Big Jook and Hernandez Govan ― the man prosecutors said was the mastermind behind the fatal shooting of Young Dolph ― to get signed to the CMG music label. CMG is a rival music label to the one established by Thornton, Paper Route Empire.
Big Jook offered Johnson the hit in order to get signed to CMG, Hagerman alleged.
Deputy District Attorney Paul Hagerman shows the jury what he says is a photo of Justin Johnson, one of the men accused of killing rapper Young Dolph, walking in Crosstown Concourse in the same outfit a shooter was seen wearing during the prosecution’s opening statement of Johnson’s trial at Shelby County Criminal Court in Memphis, Tenn., on Monday, September 23, 2024.
Johnson’s attorney, Luke Evans, said during his opening statements that Johnson did not kill Thornton and the evidence against him does not tie him to the killing. Hagerman’s opening statement talked specifically about photo evidence and the clothing Johnson was wearing tying him to the act and also the hours after.
Evans said that similar clothing like a Bass Pro Shop hat does not mean the man in the videos and in photos from surveillance is Johnson.
Hagerman played the surveillance video outside of Makeda’s Homemade Cookies, which showed the moment when a white Mercedes car pulled up to the shop and two men exited the vehicle. Hagerman said that the man in the video holding a handgun was Johnson, the other man who was seen holding a semi-automatic weapon was Cornelius Smith.
Justin Johnson, one of the men accused of killing rapper Young Dolph, appears in court for the beginning of the trial at Shelby County Criminal Court in Memphis, Tenn., on Monday, September 23, 2024.
Smith is also facing a slew of charges related to Young Dolph’s killing.
District Attorney Steve Mulroy was in the courtroom for portions of the opening statements. Mulroy later told reporters that Smith and Govan, who are not currently on trial, could be testifying in the trial.
“We do anticipate Cornelius Smith to be cooperating in testifying, and both Govan and Smith, what will happen with them will be determined at a later time, either by trial or by plea,” Mulroy said.
First witnesses take the stand
Raul Hopkins, a long-time friend and security for Thornton, took the witness stand to talk about the violence that had been directed at Thornton by members of CMG.
Hopkins detailed a shooting in Charlotte, North Carolina where a van was shot up that Thornton had been at moments before.
Hagerman also played video from inside Makeda’s Homemade Cookies, showing the shooting of Thornton. Hopkins was not questioned by the defense and left the courtroom with tears in his eyes.
Thornton’s sister, Erica Thornton, also took the stand. She told the jury that the last time she saw her brother was months before he was killed.
She said she “most definitely” misses her brother.
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