MEMPHIS, Tennessee – A judge on Monday reset the trial date for a man accused of killing rapper Young Dolph in a daytime ambush at a cookie store in his hometown of Memphis, Tennessee.
Shelby County Judge Jennifer J. Mitchell set a Sept. 23 trial date for Justin Johnson, 26. He has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of Young Dolph, who was buying cookies when he was shot in November 2021 at a bakery located near his childhood home.
Johnson’s trial was scheduled to begin on Monday. However, prosecutors and Johnson’s attorney filed a joint motion on May 14 asking the judge to postpone the trial to allow them to present expert witnesses to discuss the cellphone location records.
Mitchell governed in February that the trial jury will come from outside Memphis because of intense media coverage of the 36-year-old rapper’s murder, which shocked Memphis and the entertainment world.
Authorities said two men got out of a stolen Mercedes-Benz and shot Makeda’s Homemade Cookies before fleeing. As they searched for the suspects, police released photos taken from surveillance video that captured the shooting.
Cornelius Smith Jr.. also pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder charges in the shooting. Smith’s trial date has not been set.
Young Dolph, whose real name was Adolph Thornton Jr., was a rapper, producer and owner of an independent music label. He was shot to death while visiting his hometown to see a sick relative and hand out turkeys for Thanksgiving.
Known for his depictions of difficult street life and his independent approach to the world of music, Young Dolph He was admired for his charitable works in Memphis. Along with Thanksgiving turkey giveaways, he donated thousands of dollars to high schools, paid rent and covered funeral costs for people in the Castalia Heights neighborhood where he was raised. A street in the neighborhood was named after young Dolph after his death.
Two other men were also charged with the murder.
Hernandez Govan has pleaded not guilty to organizing the murder. A trial date has not been set for him. Jermarcus Johnson pleaded guilty in June 2023 to three counts of serving as an accessory after the fact to murder, aiding Smith and Justin Johnson, his half-brother.
Jermarcus Johnson acknowledged helping the two shooting suspects communicate by cellphone as they fled from authorities and helping one of them communicate with his parole officer. Jermarcus Johnson will likely not be convicted before the case goes to trial.
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An earlier version of this report incorrectly stated that the joint motion was filed on May 22.
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