The trial for the murder of Young Dolph began today (Sept. 23) in Shelby County, Memphis. During opening statements, Assistant District Attorney Paul Hagerman roped Yo Gotti‘s brother, Big Jook, into the case. Jook, who passed away in January of this year, is accused of putting out a $100,000 hit on Dolph.
For context, Hernandez Govan, Justin Johnson, and Cornelius Smith Jr. are on the hook for first-degree murder and were supposed to be on trial together. The opposite happened in court on Monday.
Shelby County ADA Reveals Defendants Are Testifying Against Each Other
During the second trial delay hearing in May, Govan was out of jail on a $90,000 bond and on house arrest. In addition to first-degree murder, he faces attempted murder and conspiracy charges. Jermarcus Johnson had previously accepted a plea deal in Oct. 2023 to testify against other defendants. His deal included pleading guilty to three counts of accessory after the fact and between six and 12 years in jail.
Cornelius Smith Jr. followed in his footsteps and flipped the script. Facing additional charges of unlawful carrying and possession of a firearm and theft of property, Smith agreed to testify against Jermarcus, per ABC 24. That’s a major update shared during the prosecutors’ opening statement. However, the county D.A. Steve Mulroy told the outlet Smith refuses to comment on Hernandez Govan. Ultimately, the fate of Smith Jr. and Govan will be decided via trial or plea, ABC 24 reports.
Yo Gotti’s Brother Mentioned In Day One Of The Young Dolph Murder Trial
In addition to the defendants switching up on each, the prosecutors name-dropped another person in connection to Dolph’s killing. Hagerman has accused Yo Gotti’s late brother, Big Jook, of being the mastermind behind the Murder plot. Gotti and Dolph had been rumored to have an ongoing street beef, and on day one of trial, Hagerman claimed that Jook put out a $100,000 hit to end the war, per TMZ.
Cornelius Smith Jr. Confirms Big Jook Accusation
Though Big Jook is now a suspect in the murder plot, he won’t be taking the stand. Gotti’s brother died on January 13 during a shooting near a Memphis restaurant. He had reportedly been in the area due to his uncle’s funeral and ultimately died at the scene.
On Monday, Cornelius Smith Jr. took the stand and further implicated Big Jook in Dolph’s murder. He testified that he and Justin Johnson had to FaceTime Jook after the killing to confirm it had happened. Smith said he never met Dolph, but claimed that Gotti’s brother promised on the call to “get up” with them. Smith claimed he was set to make $40,000 off of the hit.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
