A young convicted dolphin killer has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after accepting a plea deal.
On Friday (May 15), Cornelius Smith, one of the men accused of killing Memphis rapper Young Dolph in November 2021, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 20 years in prison under a plea agreement. Smith, the third and final murder suspect in the case, attended a hearing in Memphis on Friday and confirmed to the court that he accepted a plea deal to a lesser charge.
Smith, 32, was originally charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder. Under the plea agreement, all of those charges will be dropped. Smith’s assistance to prosecutors during the case proved crucial in securing the conviction of Justin Johnson, the second gunman involved in the late rapper’s shooting.
Shelby County Deputy District Attorney Paul Hagerman informed Dorff’s family of Smith’s sentencing, ABC24 Memphis reported.
Hagerman told the media: “From the time of his arrest to now, Cornelius has accepted responsibility and agreed to cooperate.”[The family] They understand, and they’re always thinking about solving complex cases like this, that a lot of times you need someone to cooperate, which means ultimately you have to consider one person’s cooperation and true testimony, but I think we struck a balance between something that was firm and something that gave them the level of justice that they wanted. “
Smith’s defense attorney, Michael Scholl, said his client is expected to receive credit for time served, meaning he has 15 years left on his sentence.
Smith admitted to killing young Dolph (born Adolph Thornton Jr.) and testified that he and Justin Johnson were performing a song produced by rapper Yo Gotti’s late brother Big Jook. Johnson, 27, was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life plus 35 years in prison. Meanwhile, Hernandez Govan, the man accused of masterminding the plot, was cleared of all charges last summer.
Watch ABC24 Memphis Report: Cornelius Smith sentenced to 20 years in prison for 2021 Jandorf murder
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