Hernandez Govan, the man accused of orchestrating Young Dolph’s murder, has been found not guilty.
The verdict was announced Thursday afternoon, nearly four years after Young Dolph—born Adolph Robert Thornton Jr.—was fatally shot while visiting a bakery in Memphis, Tennessee.
Govan was facing charges of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, and attempted murder. A jury of five men and seven women acquitted the 45-year-old of all charges.
“Thank you to the juries for getting this right and getting my life back,” Govan told reporters after the verdict, per WJTV. “Without God, I don’t even think I would have made it this far.”
Although Govan was not accused of pulling the trigger, prosecutors accused the man of directing Justin Johnson and Cornelius Smith to carry out the shooting.
Johnson was convicted in 2024 and sentenced to life in prison for his involvement in the Young Dolph slaying. Smith has admitted to being involved in the ambush and is still facing murder and conspiracy charges.
Prosecutors said Young Dolph’s murder stemmed from his feud with Yo Gotti and his record label, Collective Music Group, aka Cocaine Muzik Group.
While testifying in Govan’s trial, Smith claimed that Yo Gotti’s older brother, Anthony “Big Jook” Mims, had put a $100,000 hit on Young Dolph. Smith said Govan recruited him and Johnson to carry out the murder, promising to give them $40,000 each, while he took a $20,000 cut. Smith told the jury he only received $800 for the shooting.
In 2024, Mims was fatally shot outside of a Memphis restaurant.
Govan’s attorneys painted Smith as an unreliable witness, stating he changed his account multiple times throughout the case and was eager to strike a deal in an attempt to reduce his sentence. They also questioned the phone records that purportedly proved Govan was involved with plotting Young Dolph’s murder.
Govan’s legal team acknowledged there was communication between their client and Smith, but none of the exchanges tied Govan to the attack on Young Dolph.