Jury acquits Hernandez Govan accused of orchestrating Young Dolph’s 2021 killing

A Memphis jury on Thursday found Hernandez Govan not guilty of organizing the fatal ambush shooting of rapper Young Dolph in 2021. Govan, 45, was acquitted of charges including first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder after jurors deliberated for approximately three hours.

Govan was accused by prosecutors of planning the November 2021 killing, though he was not alleged to have been one of the shooters. The prosecution claimed Govan directed the gunmen and informed them of Young Dolph’s whereabouts, citing phone records and witness testimony. However, the jury ultimately determined there was insufficient evidence to convict him.

The trial featured testimony from Cornelius Smith Jr., one of the two men who admitted to carrying out the shooting. Smith alleged that Govan recruited him and offered a cut of $10,000. He also claimed Govan supplied weapons and tipped off the shooters that Young Dolph would be in Memphis handing out Thanksgiving turkeys.

Young Dolph, born Adolph Thornton Jr., was a prominent Memphis rapper and entrepreneur. He was gunned down inside Makeda’s Homemade Butter Cookies in a broad daylight attack that stunned the music world. Authorities say two men exited a white Mercedes-Benz and fired nearly 20 shots at him.

Smith is currently facing murder and conspiracy charges but has not yet gone to trial. He previously testified against Justin Johnson, who was convicted in 2024 and sentenced to life in prison for his role as one of the shooters.

Prosecutors linked the killing to a larger feud involving Anthony “Big Jook” Mims—Yo Gotti’s brother—and alleged that it stemmed from retaliatory motives tied to diss tracks by Young Dolph. Smith testified that Big Jook had placed a $100,000 bounty on Dolph. Big Jook was killed in an unrelated shooting in January 2024.

Govan’s attorney, Manny Arora, argued that Smith was unreliable and had financial motives, suggesting inconsistencies in his testimony and pointing to unverified cash payments received by Smith’s legal team. Govan did not testify during the trial and was released following the verdict.