Murder trial of Memphis rapper Young Dolph begins | News

MEMPHIS, Tennessee – The trial of the men accused of murdering Memphis rapper Young Dolph is scheduled to begin Monday.

FOX13 found that a jury of local residents has been selected for the trial, but it is unclear how many of the defendants will face that jury. FOX13 received conflicting information about who will stand trial.

RELATED: Murder suspect Young Dolph's trial begins Monday

There are four suspects in the case: suspected shooters Justin Johnson and Cornelius Smith, suspected mastermind Hernandez Govan, and the suspected shooter's half-brother, Jermarcus Johnson.

Young Dolph, whose real name was Adolph Thornton Jr., was shot and killed at Makeda's Homemade Cookies on November 17, 2021.

RELATED: Everything we know about Young Dolph's murder, arrests and trial

Last year, Jermarcus Johnson pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact. He is not directly involved in Dolph's murder, but is accused of helping the suspected shooters flee from police.

Last month, the Shelby County District Attorney's Office told FOX13 that the only trial scheduled to begin in Memphis on Monday would be that of Justin Johnson. He has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to face a Nashville-area jury after a defense attorney argued that intense media coverage and social media attention would make it difficult to assemble a Memphis jury.

On Friday, the office sent another email saying they were Justin Johnson, Hernandez Govan and Jermarcus Johnson – even though Jermarcus Johnson had already pleaded guilty. FOX13 has reached out to the office for further clarification.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.