Who are Cornelius Smith and Justin Johnson? Suspect admits to killing Young Dolph in court testimony

Rapper Young Dolph, whose real name was Adolph Robert Thornton Jr., passed away in November 2021 from multiple gunshot wounds. Currently, one of the prime suspects, Justin Johnson, is on trial for his murder. The trial began on September 23, 2024.

Another suspect, Cornelius Smith, took to the stands during the trial and testified against Johnson who has so far denied his involvement in the crime.

Smith not only confessed to the killing of Young Dolph but also testified that he was allegedly promised a payment of $100,000 by Anthony “Big Jook” Mims, the late brother of rapper Yo Gotti, to carry out the hit on Dolph.

He also claimed that his accomplices in the crime were Johnson and Hernandez Govan, whom he alleged was the mastermind. As per Cornelius’ testimony, he and Johnson decided to carry out the fatal shooting seemingly orchestrated by Big Jook and agreed to split $40,000 each and give the remaining amount to Govan.

He also told the court how they planned and carried out the murder on Thanksgiving 2021.

Notably, Big Jook was killed earlier this year in Memphis.

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Exploring Young Dolph’s murder suspect’s recent testimony

Earlier this week, as part of Memphis rapper Young Dolph’s murder trial, one of the four accused men, Cornelius Smith, testified in front of the judge. He admitted to killing the Get Paid rapper two years back and claimed to have done it on the order of Anthony Mims, who reportedly offered him $100,000 for the hit.

The suspect testified that his accomplice Hernandez Govan first informed him about Big Jook’s plan, and later, he, Govan, and Justin Johnson decided to share the money among themselves.

Cornelius Smith told the court that they planned for weeks and were aware that Young Dolph would be in his hometown for his usual Thanksgiving turkey drive on November 17, 2021, as part of his record label Paper Route Empire’s yearly event.

On the fateful day, Smith claimed that Johnson picked him up in a white Mercedes Benz which had guns in its backseat, such as a Draco semi-automatic and a handgun.

Reportedly, the duo sighted Young Dolph’s car and later followed him to Makeda’s Homemade Butter Cookies, circled the block, and pulled up behind the store.

“We were like, ‘There goes Dolph right there,’ … I saw him standing by the window and just got out of the car and started shooting… I wasn’t feeling anything at the time. I’m not gonna lie. I was trying to get some money,” Smith testified.

Additionally, Cornelius alleged that they used “jailhouse sign language” to spell out D-O-L-P-H via a FaceTime call to Big Jook to inform him about Young Dolph’s murder. He also alleged that Govan pled them to “ged rid of” the car they used, which they seemingly left on Bradley Street near the former’s residence in the Orange Mound area, switched vehicles, and changed clothes.

Smith also testified that instead of $40,000 of his share, he was allegedly only paid $800 for the crime. He was also unsure exactly how many rounds of bullets he fired at Young Dolph.

During his testimony, the suspect also clarified that he was not provided immunity or made any promises in exchange for his cooperation and was well aware that he would be facing years in prison for his confessions.

While not much is known about Cornelius Smith, he testified that he lost his 9-year-old son in 2020 which pushed him to drugs such as ecstasy and oxycontin, as well as criminal activities.

Notably, surveillance video was played in court as part of the evidence that confirmed the incident, from which Smith identified himself and the other accused Justin Johnson, as the gunmen.

It was also revealed that Young Dolph’s brother Marcus Thornton, who was at the scene, fired back at Smith and Johnson, injuring the former in the shoulder, arm, and leg, and a bullet grazing the latter’s back. Nonetheless, they managed to escape the crime scene.

Smith, like Johnson, is currently facing multiple felony charges including murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and being a felon in possession of a gun.

The current trial, which primarily focuses on Justin Johnson’s involvement in Young Dolph’s murder, began on Monday afternoon. So far, he has maintained his innocence.

However, his half-brother Jermarcus Johnson pleaded guilty in June last year to three counts of serving as an accessory after the crime and confessed to helping Smith and Justin run from law enforcement.

He is currently awaiting his sentencing. As for Hernandez Govan, he has so far pled not guilty to masterminding Young Dolph’s murder.