Memphis Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Young Dolph Killing Case

A Memphis man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role in the 2021 murder of rapper and philanthropist Young Dolph, bringing the years-long legal case to a close. Cornelius Smith Jr., 36, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on Friday as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors.

Smith was one of two gunmen who ambushed the artist, whose real name was Adolph Thornton Jr., outside Makeda’s Homemade Cookies in Memphis in November 2021. The 36-year-old rapper was visiting his childhood neighborhood to continue his annual tradition of handing out Thanksgiving turkeys to local families. According to prosecutors, Smith and Justin Johnson jumped from a white Mercedes-Benz and fired dozens of rounds, striking Young Dolph approximately 20 times.

As part of his plea deal, Smith served as the state’s main witness in the 2024 trial of his co-defendant, Justin Johnson. Smith’s testimony was instrumental in securing Johnson’s conviction on charges of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and possession of a gun as a felon. Johnson is now serving a life sentence plus additional years. In exchange for his cooperation, prosecutors dropped several other initial charges...