Hernandez Govan, the man who was charged with hiring two men to murder Young Dolph, has been acquitted of all charges against him.
On Thursday, August 21, a jury found Govan not guilty of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. According to Fox 13, the trial lasted for four days. Opening statements on Monday, August 18, followed by the first witnesses. The testimonies continued throughout the week before closing arguments were made on Wednesday. Jurors began their deliberation earlier this morning. They only took two hours and 45 minutes to decide that Govan was innocent of all charges.
“We have to respect a jury’s decision even if we disagree with it,” Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said during a press conference after the verdict.
“I always knew I had a chance because I was always confident in my innocence," Govan said after he walked free.
During the trial, the state of Tennessee called upon eight witnesses to testify against Govan, including Dolph's sister, head of security and Cornelius Smith. Smith was one of two men Govan allegedly recruited to take out the Paper Route Empire founder while he was at Makeda's Cookies in Memphis on November 17, 2021.
Smith testified that Govan contacted him and Justin Johnson, the other man who was convicted of killing Dolph, after the murder occurred. An investigator who worked on the case also testified and displayed a PowerPoint that showed Govan's communications with both men. Manny Arora, Govan's attorney, argued that his client often served Smith drugs so their communication wasn't uncommon. Arora also told the court that Johnson spoke with other people about Dolph's murder without Govan.
Thankfully, the jurors listened," Arora said after the verdict was read. "They saw the holes in the case, and I'm so happy for our client, who had to go through this for the last four years."
Justin Johnson was convicted of murdering Dolph last year and was sentenced to life in prison. Smith has not faced trial or been sentenced yet. However, Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said he expects to reach a plea agreement with Smith following his participation in both Govan and Johnson's trials.