Prosecutors unveil new video; Brother of accused shooter in Young Dolph murder testifies on second day of trial

MEMPHIS, Tennessee (WMC) – The second day of the trial of Justin Johnson, one of two young men accused of shooting Memphis rapper Young Dolph, featured more eye-popping testimony.

Johnson pleaded not guilty to murder and other charges.

On Tuesday, prosecutors showed a previously unseen video that they say proves Johnson was at the murder scene.

A video shared by Assistant District Attorney Paul Hagerman appears to show Justin Johnson wearing the same clothing one of the shooters was wearing at the crime scene.

Former Memphis police officer Terence Dabney, the first witness to testify for the state on Tuesday, located Johnson at that crime scene.

“This is also a photo from Crosstown from the video where Justin Johnson is carrying a small backpack,” said former Memphis police officer Terence Dabney. “He has his daughter with him. Appears to be on the phone. You can still see the tattoo on his hand, along with a Bass Pro Shop hat, black hoodie, gray sweatpants and black shoes.”

“This happened when he left 37 minutes before the murder,” said Assistant District Attorney Paul Hagerman.

“Yes,” said Dabney.

Prosecutors and another witness, Khisten Gardner, claim Johnson traded the Mercedes for another vehicle before the murder.

Hagerman showed a video taken hours after the alleged deal that appears to show the car entering the parking garage at Crosstown Concourse where Johnson lived.

They also showed a video of a white Ford Expedition entering and exiting the same garage.

Dabney told the jury that Johnson and Smith drove away in that SUV after parking the white Mercedes in front of the house across the street from Hernandez Govan's home.

About 40 minutes before the murder, Hagerman said Johnson was seen on video with his daughter wearing the clothing of one of the shooters, but his lawyer denies that Johnson was involved in the murder.

“Several fingerprints were recovered from the vehicle, is that correct? Mr. Smith, Treyon Ingram and Khisten Garner. Mr. Justin Johnson's fingerprints were not taken from the vehicle,” said Johnson's attorney Luke Evans.

Johnson's attorney also pointed out that Johnson is not seen in any of the videos or in any of the vehicles associated with the murder. However, Hagerman argues that the clothing Johnson is wearing in the video before the murder is the same clothing one of the shooters was wearing at the crime scene that day.

The prosecution's second witness, Khisten Gardner, whose fingerprints were allegedly found on the white Mercedes, testified Tuesday that Johnson and another man charged with stealing the Mercedes swapped cars in the early hours of the morning on the day of the murder.

However, Evans claims that Gardner sat in the car before it was sold and that Gardner tried to conceal his involvement in the murder.

Gardner denied Evans' claims and said he began calling Young Dolph's family members and others after seeing the car on the news.

He told the jury that he would never take part in the murder because Young Dolph was a “family member” to him.

Jermarcus Johnson, Justin Johnson's half-brother, was the last witness to testify on Tuesday.

Johnson pleaded guilty last year to helping his brother and the other suspected shooter, Cornelius Smith, communicate by cellphone during their escape.

Prosecutors also allege that Justin Johnson's phone was used after the murder to communicate with Smith and Big Jook, the late brother of Memphis rapper Yo Gotti.

Hagerman and Smith told the jury Monday that Big Jook carried out a $100,000 assassination attempt on Young Dolph.