Jermarcus Johnson, a 26-year-old Tennessee resident, has entered a guilty plea on three counts of being an accessory after the fact in the tragic shooting that took the life of rapper Young Dolph at a beloved Memphis bakery.
Judge Lee Coffee has accepted this plea agreement, sparing Johnson from a trial and leaving the door open for his potential testimony in a future trial related to the case.
Young Dolph, born Adolph Thornton Jr., was fatally shot by two individuals who arrived in a stolen Mercedes Benz while he was innocently purchasing cookies near his childhood home.
While Johnson did not directly participate in the shooting, he has admitted to aiding the two suspects by facilitating their communication and assisting one of them in contacting his probation officer after the incident.
Johnson, described as one of the “multiple players” associated with the offense by prosecutor Paul Hagerman, initially faced the more severe charge of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. He provided support to his half-brother Justin Johnson in communicating with another suspect named Cornelius Smith. All four defendants, including Justin Johnson, Smith, and Hernandez Govan, have entered not guilty pleas to first-degree murder charges.
The motive behind the shooting remains undisclosed to the public. Young Dolph’s tragic death shook the community, and the city of Memphis, along with the Memphis Grizzlies basketball team and various artistic tributes, paid heartfelt homage to his memory.
Following a temporary closure, Makeda’s Homemade Cookies, the bakery where the shooting occurred, has since reopened. Currently, Justin Johnson and Smith are in custody, while Govan, due to concerns for his safety and well-being, has been placed under house arrest after posting a $90,000 bond. In the future, Johnson may face a prison term ranging from six to twelve years.
[VIA]