Young Dolph: Suspect Accused Of Ordering Rapper’s Murder Charged
A third man faces murder charges in connection to the murder of Memphis rapper Young Dolph.
Hernandez Govan, 43, has been indicted on charges of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, per local news outlet FOX 13 Memphis.
Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy told the outlet that “Govan is the one who solicited the murder, leading Justin Johnson and Cornelius Smith to shoot the Memphis rapper in broad daylight at Makeda’s Homemade Butter Cookies on November 17, 2021.”
Govan’s third charge, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, dates back to June 2021. The outlet reports that authorities may believe Govan started planning Young Dolph’s murder months before the rapper was shot to death. The day Young Dolph was murdered, Govan was in jail serving time for a June 2021 aggravated assault.
“Mr. Govan has been indicted and is in custody for being involved in the Young Dolph murderer,” Mulroy told reporters. “He played the role of the person who solicited the murder.”
The other three suspects charged are Shundale Barnett, Cornelius Smith, and Justin Johnson. Johnson and Smith remain in custody after also being charged with first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder, along with firearm charges, earlier this year.
Barnett has been charged with accessory after the fact and is being accused of helping Justin Johnson following the murder of the rapper but remains at large after being mistakenly released from jail in January, per HipHopDX. A warrant for first-degree murder has since been issued for Barnett, though he has not been arrested for that warrant at this time. It is unclear if that murder charge is connected to the Young Dolph case per FOX 13 Memphis.
Johnson and Smith’s next court appearance is on Jan. 20, 2023. A court appearance date for Govan has not been announced yet.
Rap Community Pens Tributes To Young Dolph
