The Man Accused of Organizing Young Dolph’s Murder Released from Jail

A bond hearing for the man accused of organizing the murder of rapper Young Dolph was held in Shelby County Court on Thursday (May 11) in Memphis, Tennessee. Allegedly, Hernandez Govan was the organizer behind the fatal crime. 

The bond was set to $90,000. The bail couldn’t be as low as $9,000. According to WREG-TV, the suspect did not appear in court. However, his legal team was in attendance to represent him. “The lawyer talked to me yesterday about Mr. Govan’s presence, and we decided his presence was not necessary,” said Judge Lee Coffee. 

The court document filed on Thursday confirmed that the prosecutors and Govan’s defense lawyer came to the bond agreement. The price of the bond was lowered due to medical reasons and for his safety. Manny Arora, Govan’s attorney, says it is “abundantly clear” that his client wasn’t associated with the shooting of the chart-topping artist. 

Govan posted the bond and has been released from jail. The amount was posted nearly six months after he was taken into custody in connection to the “Get Away” artist’s death. He was initially being held without bond on charges of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder of Young Dolph. Under the conditions of his bond, he is permitted to stay on house arrest. He is only allowed to leave for medical reasons or meetings with his lawyer. 

Young Dolph was killed by a firearm in November of 2021 at Makeda’s Homemade Cookies on Airways Boulevard in South Memphis. 

Following the incident, two suspects were arrested. Justin Johnson, 24, and Cornelius Smith, 32, were accused of first-degree murder, criminal attempted first-degree murder, and possession of a firearm. They were also indicted for “employment of a firearm with intent to commit a felony.” 

Young Dolph was an emerging artist from Memphis—born Adolph Thornton Jr.—and known for his mixtapes and thick southern twang. Throughout his career, the rapper collaborated with 2 Chainz, Juicy J, Rick Ross, and Young Jeezy. His debut album, King of Memphis, debuted at No.8 on Billboard’s top R&B / Hip-Hop Album charts and No. 9 on the Billboard 200 chart. His biggest hits include—”1 Scale” featuring G Herbo, “Major,” “100 Shots,” and “To Be Honest.” 

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