Young Dolph in 2019. Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images for West Coast Cure
45-year-old Hernandez Govan, the man accused of organizing the shooting that killed rapper Young Dolph, has been found not guilty on the fourth day of his trial on Thursday, August 21, local Mississippi news outlets confirm. Govan’s charges included first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, and attempted murder.
Dolph died at 36 on November 17, 2021, after being shot over 20 times in a bakery in Memphis. Cornelius Smith and Justin Johnson were arrested in January 2022 for the shooting itself, while Govan was indicted in November 2022 on suspicion of organizing the hit. The alleged mastermind pled not guilty.
After Smith admitted to being one of the shooters, he testified as a witness against Johnson in 2024. His testimony paralleled prosecutors’ claim that Anthony “Big Jook” Mims, who died in a shooting outside a restaurant earlier this year, initiated a $100,000 hit against Young Dolph for dropping diss tracks against him, his brother Yo Gotti, and their record label.
During the first day of Govan’s trial on August 18, Smith testified that he and Johnson were hired by Govan to “do the hits” in exchange for a cut of the bounty, according to CBS News. Govan’s lawyer claimed that Smith’s testimony had numerous inconsistencies.
Young Dolph, born Adolph Robert Thornton Jr., dropped numerous mixtapes before releasing his successful debut album in 2016. He started his own label, Paper Route Empire, and became equally known for his defiant songs and his philanthropic endeavors. He is survived by a son and daughter.
