Hernandez Govan was named because the alleged mastermind behind the deadly ambush of Young Dolph as his high-profile homicide trial started Monday (August 18) in Memphis, with one of many accused gunmen delivering explosive testimony concerning the moments main as much as the lethal capturing.

On the stand, Cornelius Smith admitted he was one of many two males who gunned down the Memphis rapper in 2021. He pointed instantly at Hernandez Govan in courtroom, figuring out him as the person who supplied up the hit.

Smith mentioned he met Govan in 2021 by way of a person named Bobby Carter, who launched him as a drug provider. According to Smith, Govan offered him ecstasy and oxycodone throughout a interval when he relapsed after the loss of life of his son in 2020.

Smith testified that Govan advised him “it was a hit at the time on a couple of guys in Paper Route,” referring to Dolph’s music label, Paper Route Empire.

Smith claimed the hit was ordered by “Big Jook”, the late brother of rapper Yo Gotti, for $100,000.

“He was telling us who had the most money on his head. Young Dolph had the most money on his head. If you kill Young Dolph, you getting $100,000,” Smith testified.

He mentioned Govan talked about the annual turkey drive as a possible alternative. “That’s our opportunity to make something shake,” Smith recalled.

Smith admitted he didn’t know a lot about Paper Route Empire earlier than that. “I don’t know nothing about what Paper Route do,” he mentioned, though he acknowledged listening to Dolph’s music.

He mentioned he and Justin Johnson had been made conscious of the bounties positioned on PRE members and had already been scouting earlier than the turkey giveaway.

Smith later testified that Johnson obtained a name revealing Dolph’s location, however after they arrived, he wasn’t there. Still, they knew he was on the town.

“Anything could shake right now. We going to get somebody. Tomorrow is our day. We going to strike somebody. We going to get lucky tomorrow,” Smith mentioned.

On November 17, 2021, Smith mentioned he received a name from Johnson, who mentioned he was on the best way to select him up.

Smith lived simply minutes from Govan’s home. Johnson arrived in a white Mercedes, and inside an hour, they’d noticed Young Dolph, who was nonetheless on the town for the PRE turkey giveaway.

“They come, driving across the light and we spotted the car. We were like, there they go. We proceed the trail Young Dolph,” Smith testified. “Once we say him, we didn’t say nothing. We knew it was go time.”

Smith mentioned they adopted Dolph to Makeda’s Homemade Butter Cookies.

“Once we pulled in that’s when I saw Young Dolph closest to the glass,” Smith mentioned.

Prosecutors then played a new surveillance video showing Smith approaching and firing at Dolph. One of Dolph’s associates returned fireplace, chasing the shooters out of the shop.

Smith mentioned he was hit in his arm and leg in the course of the change and was bleeding profusely.

“Once we left the cookie shop, I was telling Justin I was hit. He like ‘I was hit too,’” Smith mentioned. “Justin was driving at the time. I was asking him cause he was driving, so he wouldn’t crash. We went back to house in front of Mr. Hernandez Govan’s house. I jumped out the Mercedes Benz, jumped into a Suburban truck and moved out the way.”

Smith testified that they’d no exit technique.

“I was bleeding incredible bad. We were trying to get cleaned up. And we were trying to find some where to go,” he mentioned. “In the mean time he face time Big Jook. He [Jook] told us he would get with us when he was done with his kids. I would have had to have gone through Mr. Hernandez Govan or Justin Johnson (to get his money).”

Justin Johnson, aka “Straight Drop,” has already been convicted of homicide, conspiracy and weapons expenses associated to Dolph’s homicide. He obtained a life sentence plus 50 years.

Cornelius Smith pleaded responsible and is testifying towards Govan.

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