The murder case involving Young Dolph is inching closer to closure, as a plea deal has now been secured with the last defendant connected to the 2021 killing.
Cornelius Smith has reached an agreement with prosecutors over his involvement in the deadly shooting of the Memphis rapper. While Smith was expected to officially enter his plea this week, the hearing has been pushed back to March 30, giving both parties more time to finalize the details in court.
Smith had already confessed under oath to taking part in the shooting and later worked with investigators. While testifying during the trial of co-defendant Justin Johnson, he revealed the attack was allegedly carried out as a paid hit. Smith pointed to Johnson as the second shooter and claimed the plan was tied to Anthony “Big Jook” Mims, who died in an unrelated shooting in 2024.
Dolph was gunned down on November 17, 2021, during a stop at Makeda’s Homemade Butter Cookies in South Memphis, a business he had consistently shown love to over the years. The fatal incident, caught on surveillance footage, rocked the city and sent waves through the hip-hop community.
Johnson was later found guilty and handed a life sentence. In a separate trial, Hernandez Govan — accused by prosecutors of helping orchestrate the plot — was acquitted.
Smith remains the final person charged in connection to the case. Now that a plea deal has been reached, upcoming court proceedings later this month are expected to seal his sentence and officially bring one of Memphis’ most closely watched criminal cases to an end.
