4th person surrenders in slaying of rapper Young Dolph
Nov 18, 2022, 4:22 PM | Updated: 4:39 pm
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A fourth person wanted in the slaying of rapper Young Dolph turned himself in on Friday, Memphis police said.
Jermarcus Johnson was wanted on a charge of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, police said on the agency’s Facebook page. Police did not provide any additional details about Johnson or his alleged role in the case.
Three others were arrested previously, including Hernandez Govan, who appeared briefly in Shelby County Criminal Court on Thursday and pleaded not guilty to charges including first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. Govan’s next hearing is Dec. 16.
Govan’s court appearance was a year to the day after Young Dolph was ambushed and shot to death while buying cookies at a bakery in his hometown of Memphis. Young Dolph, whose real name was Adolph Thornton Jr.. was 36.
Justin Johnson and Cornelius Smith Jr. have pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and other charges in the shooting and are jailed without bond. They are scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 20.
Young Dolph was admired for charitable works in Memphis. He organized Thanksgiving turkey giveaways, donated thousands of dollars to high schools, and paid rent and covered funeral costs for people in the Castalia Heights neighborhood where he was raised.
His work as a rapper, producer and owner of the independent label “Paper Route Empire” took him away from Memphis, but the father of two had returned to the city days before his killing to visit a sick relative and organize a turkey giveaway that took place without him.
After Young Dolph’s death, a section of a street near his boyhood home was renamed for him.
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