Young Dolph Murder Suspect Carried Out Hit Because He Needed Money for Daughter’s Birthday

One of the shooters involved in Young Dolph‘s murder testified on Monday (Sept. 23.)

Cornelius Smith, who pled guilty to murder, took the stand and implicated himself, Justin Johnson, Hernandez “Quett” Govan and Yo Gotti‘s brother Anthony “Big Jook” Mims in the murder of the beloved Memphis rapper.

Smith testified that Govan organized the hit and Mims put up $100K if they were able to get the job done. Smith said he and Johnson were supposed to receive $40,000 each and Govan was going to get $20,000. However, Smith testified that he only received $800, but Big Jook paid $50,000 in lawyer fees after he was caught.

He also revealed he and Johnson went ahead with the murder on the same day of his daughter’s birthday. When asked why he choose still go through with it, Smith said he needed the money to make his daughter’s day special. “Man, I was trying to make it right for her,” he said. “I ain’t have no money, I’m trying to get some money that day. So I’m trying to make sure my baby girl have a beautiful birthday.”

According to testimony, Smith and Johnson originally planned on carrying out the murder at an annual Thanksgiving turkey drive Dolph organizes, but they spotted his camo-wrapped Corvette and decided to follow him into the parking lot of Makeda’s Homemade Butter Cookies where they allegedly shot Dolph 22 times.

When asked why he decided to tell the truth, Smith said he felt guilty after being arrested and he sobered up, blaming his drug use on the death of his 9-year-old son in 2020. He also said that he wasn’t expecting leniency and was doing talking to clear his conscience. “I’m going to jail anyway. I can get it off my chest,” he said. “It’s my best out to be honest, to be truthful. Why play with these folks? They already know.”

Big Jook was murdered earlier this year in January.

You can watch the testimony here.