Young Dolph murder suspect confesses to killing for $100,000 bounty

Murder suspect Cornelius Smith has confessed to shooting the rapper to collect a $100,000 bounty from Yo Gotti's brother Big Jook.

According to Smith, he and co-suspect Justin Johnson entered the Memphis cookie shop in November 2021 and opened fire on Dolph in broad daylight.

In his testimony during Johnson's trial on Monday (September 23), Smith confirmed that he was the person who fired the semi-automatic weapon in the surveillance footage of the murder.

Johnson is currently the only one of the three murder suspects on trial, and Smith testified against him at the trial.

Johnson's lawyer dismissed Smith's testimony as a lie and claimed he was merely trying to protect himself from a long prison sentence.

Johnson also continues to protest his innocence.

The murder of Young Dolph is said to be due to the well-documented feud between the late rapper and fellow Memphis native Yo Gotti. Big Jook himself was shot earlier this year in what is believed to be a targeted attack.

Smith claims he only received $800 of the $40,000 he was supposed to receive for the murder before his arrest, while Big Jook later deposited another $50,000 with his lawyer.

Smith himself was injured in the shootout after Dolph's brother returned fire, hitting the confessed killer in the shoulder, arm and leg.

During his testimony, Smith was asked what he was thinking after the rapper was shot, to which he replied, “I didn't feel anything at the time. I'm not going to lie. I was trying to get money.”

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Johnson's brother Jemarcus previously pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting communications between the two shooters after the murder.

Jemarcus Johnson is still awaiting sentencing.

Smith also accused co-defendant Hernandez Govan of the murder, claiming that he was the person who informed him and Johnson about the bounty placed on Young Dolph by Big Jook.

Govan pleaded not guilty to organizing the murder.

Yo Gotti has not yet commented on the accusation that his brother was behind Dolph's death.

The problems between the two rappers date back to 2016. An accomplice of Gotti was arrested for attempted murder after a shooting at Dolph's home in September 2017, but was ultimately released without charge.