Hernandez Govan walked out of a Memphis courtroom Thursday (August 21), cleared of all charges in the Young Dolph murder trial and declared he’s done with the city that, in his words, nearly broke him.
Acquitted of first-degree murder and conspiracy in the 2021 ambush that left the rapper dead inside a cookie shop, Govan didn’t celebrate. Instead, he spoke of grief, regret and a desperate need for a new beginning—especially after losing his daughter, rising rapper Lotta Cash Desto, in a fatal shooting just weeks before he was indicted.
“Leave Memphis,” Govan told reporters outside the courthouse when asked what advice he had for others.
When pressed if he planned to follow his own advice, he replied, “Of course.”
Govan said he’s been “nervous for four years” and now feels like he’s been “born again” with a chance to “restart my life and do some positive things.”
The jury took only about three hours to reach a verdict, rejecting prosecutors’ claims that Govan orchestrated the hit on Young Dolph, who was gunned down on November 17, 2021.
Though Govan was accused of planning the attack, he was never alleged to have pulled the trigger.
Two other men were charged in the case. Justin Johnson was convicted and sentenced to life in prison in 2024. Cornelius Smith cooperated with the state and testified against Govan.
Lotta Cash Desto Fatally Shot Months before Father Hernandez Govan Indicted
But Govan’s pain runs deeper than the courtroom. His daughter, Lotta Cash Desto—born Destinee Govan—was shot and killed on September 24, 2022, in Houston, amid speculation that her death was retaliation for Young Dolph’s murder.
She was sitting in her car at a traffic light when two men got out of another vehicle and opened fire. A friend in the car survived. Govan was indicted in the Dolph case less than two months later.
The loss of his daughter haunts him, and he blames his “lifestyle” for her death.
In a Facebook post shared weeks after her passing, Govan wrote, “I think I cursed U Destinee with my lifestyle. I apologize baby.”
Two men—Christian Isaiah Williams, 24, and Jeremyah Smith, 19—were charged in her murder. Williams was also injured during the shooting and treated at a hospital.
Now, with the trial behind him and his daughter gone, Govan says he’s focused on moving forward, starting with leaving Memphis.
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