Young Dolph’s family is heartbroken after Hernandez Govan walked free after being acquitted of organizing the rapper’s murder.
Hernandez Govan beat a murder conspiracy rap in Memphis and Youn Dolph’s loved ones are heartbroken, with prosecutors saying the family’s “distraught” over the verdict that let the alleged mastermind walk.
Govan had been accused of playing puppet master in the 2021 killing of the Memphis rap star, allegedly hiring the shooters and setting up the ambush. But a jury wasn’t convinced.
Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said the family didn’t want to talk to the press, but made one thing clear: they don’t blame the prosecutors.
“I want to point out the family is very distraught and did not want to speak to the media, but they did say they didn’t blame the trial team for these results, although disappointed, they feel the trial team did everything they could. And I want to say they did everything they could; they were extremely well prepared,” Mulroy told WREG.
Govan was never accused of pulling the trigger himself. Prosecutors said he gave the green light and was supposed to pocket ten grand for setting it up.
He allegedly tipped off the shooters about Dolph’s schedule — specifically when he’d be at a community event in Memphis — giving them the perfect window to pull it off.
The case became more tangled up after Smith testified that Yo Gotti’s big bro, Big Jook, who was behind a $100,000 bounty on Dolph’s head. Prosecutors claimed Govan was tight with Big Jook and even talked about payments and cover-up plans with him after the hit.
One of the shooters, Cornelius Smith Jr., flipped on Govan and testified that the whole thing was Govan’s setup. He said Govan picked the date, gave the go-ahead and stayed in touch through burner phones.
Prosecutors said Big Jook wanted revenge for Dolph clowning him and Yo Gotti in diss tracks and thought Govan was the guy to make it happen.
Govan’s defense team poked holes in Smith’s credibility and said the state’s case didn’t add up.
The jury agreed.
Key Glock, Dolph’s cousin and Paper Route Empire artist, didn’t hold back. After the acquittal, he tweeted “my city failed but what’s new…” before taking it down.
His frustration mirrors the vibe in Memphis, where many in the Hip-Hop scene are feeling let down by the system.
As for Govan, he told the court he’s leaving Memphis to get a “fresh start” somewhere else.
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