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Memphis, TN –
Young Dolph‘s killer Justin Johnson has been sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of the rapper’s murder.
The jury overseeing the trial deliberated for just under four hours before coming to their verdict on Thursday (September 26), finding Johnson guilty of murder, conspiracy to commit murder and being a felon in possession of a gun.
Following the jury’s verdict, judge Jennifer Mitchell gave Johnson a sentence of life imprisonment while he awaits further sentencing for the charges in addition to murder.
Johnson had previously pled not guilty.
After the verdict, Johnson, who raps under the name Straight Drop, addressed his sentence on his Instagram Stories.
“These n-ggas taking criminal responsibility I’m taking street responsibility regardless I’m foreva the biggest they can throw away tha keys before I ever eat da cheese [blood drop emojis],” he wrote.
Dolph’s fiancée Mia Jaye also reacted to Johnson’s sentence on Instagram, writing: “Today’s verdict brings relief and restores my confidence in the justice system.
“On behalf of my children, family and myself, I would like to thank law enforcement, the prosecuion and everyone involved for their diligent work in presenting the facts that led to this conviction. We are also grateful to the public for standing with us and advocating for accountability throughout this process.”
After expressing her sadness and frustation at the events following Dolph’s murder in November 2021, Jaye added: “This is just the beginning of our journey toward achieving full justice for Adolph, and we will patiently support for the unfolding of that process.”
Justin Johnson’s conviction comes after the testimony of Cornelius Smith, the other alleged gunman in the murder.
While on the witness stand, Smith detailed the shooting that claimed the life of Young Dolph at age 36.
Smith claimed that he and Johnson were collecting a $100,000 bounty placed on Dolph’s head by Yo Gotti‘s brother Big Jook, who himself was murdered earlier this year.
According to Smith, he and Johnson approached Makeda’s Cookies in Memphis and opened fire on the Paper Route Empire rapper in broad daylight.
Smith confirmed that he was the person firing the semi-automatic weapon in CCTV footage of the murder that was shown during the trial.
The suspect also outlined his reasons for committing the shooting, saying he needed money for his daughter’s birthday.
However, Smith said he only received $800 of the $40,000 he was supposed to be paid for the shooting prior to his arrest, although Big Jook later contributed $50,000 in lawyers fees.
Smith himself was injured during the shooting after Dolph’s brother returned fire, striking the admitted killer in the shoulder, arm and leg.
During his testimony, Smith was asked what he was thinking after shooting the rapper, to which he replied: “I wasn’t feeling nothing at the time. I’m not gonna lie. I was trying to get some money.”
Johnson’s brother Jemarcus previously pleaded guilty to serving as an accessory after the killing by helping the two shooters communicate following the murder.
A fourth suspect, Hernandez Govan, has pleaded not guilty to organzing the murder.
