A resolution is nearing in the murder case of Young Dolph, as a plea agreement has been struck with the final remaining defendant tied to the 2021 killing.
Cornelius Smith has agreed to a deal with prosecutors related to his role in the fatal shooting of the Memphis rapper. Although Smith was scheduled to formally enter his plea this week, the hearing has been delayed until March 30 to allow both sides to finalize the terms in court.
Smith previously admitted under oath that he participated in the shooting and later cooperated with authorities. During testimony in the trial of co-defendant Justin Johnson, Smith stated that the attack was carried out as part of a paid hit. He identified Johnson as the second gunman and alleged the plan was connected to Anthony “Big Jook” Mims, who was killed in an unrelated shooting in 2024.
Dolph was shot and killed on November 17, 2021, while visiting Makeda’s Homemade Butter Cookies in South Memphis, a local business he had long supported. The killing, captured on surveillance video, sent shockwaves through the city and across the hip-hop community.
Johnson was ultimately convicted and sentenced to life behind bars. Meanwhile, Hernandez Govan, who prosecutors accused of helping set the plot in motion, was found not guilty in a separate trial.
Smith is the last individual facing charges in connection with the case. With a plea agreement now in place, court proceedings later this month are expected to determine his final sentence and formally close out one of Memphis’ most high-profile criminal cases in recent years.