The investigation into the death of Memphis rapper Young Dolph continues, with a fourth man now arrested in connection to his death.
Jemarcus Johnson turned himself in on Friday. He is charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder but is expected to be hit with more charges.
“This new suspect is charged with conspiracy and we’re alleging he helped one of the shooters escape and he helped one of the shooters receive money for the solicited money,” District Attorney Steve Mulroy said, according to Action News 5.
Dolph, whose real name was Adolph Thornton Jr., was shot dead on November 17, 2021, while buying cookies for his mother at a local bakery.
The autopsy revealed that the beloved rapper sustained over two dozen gunshot wounds in the brazen murder.
Less than two months after his death, Memphis police identified and apprehended two alleged shooters who were caught on camera firing guns and then fleeing the scene.
Justin Johnson, 23, who raps under the moniker Straight Dropp, and 32-year-old Cornelius Smith stand accused of being the gunmen but have pleaded not guilty in court.
The third suspect arrested in the Young Dolph murder is suspected of ordering the hit
Hernandez Govan is the third person indicted in the murder of Dolph. He pled not guilty in his first appearance in court on Thursday.
His charges include attempted first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder.
Govan has been accused of arranging the rapper’s murder. District Attorney Mulroy claimed that Govan “solicited the murder and put it in motion.”
However, prosecutors are yet to publicly reveal a motive for the alleged organized hit that took Dolph’s life at 36 years of age.
Just two months before Govan’s indictment, his 25-year-old daughter Destinee Govan was shot to death in Houston, Texas. She was a rapper best known by her stage name Lotta Cash Desoto and was signed by Lil Uzi Vert.
A month after her death, Hernandez Govan wrote on Facebook, “I think I cursed U Destinee with my lifestyle. I apologize baby.”
Young Dolph murder suspect fears for his safety in jail
On November 4, Justin Johnson and Cornelius Smith appeared in court. Johnson’s new attorney Luke Evans requested Johnson be removed from his current jail due to safety concerns.
As previously reported on Monsters and Critics in March, Johnson was reportedly punched in jail while he was on the phone.
According to Local Memphis, his next court date is in January 2023, and his request is under consideration.
Johnson released a music video from jail on the eve of the first anniversary of Young Dolph’s death.