The man convicted of killing rapper Young Dolph has received additional prison time for his involvement in the fatal shooting.
On Friday, Judge Jennifer Mitchell sentenced Justin Johnson to 35 years for conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and another 15 years for being a convicted felon in possession of a handgun. Johnson had been previously convicted of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, and possession of a firearm as a felon. These two new sentences will be served concurrently.
Before the sentencing, Dolph’s family shared an emotional statement, saying, “To the one responsible for taking him from us, just know this: You may deny your actions, but the evidence speaks clearly. You showed yourself to be driven by jealousy and cowardice. You may have tried to take a man down for envy, but you have lost far more than you could ever gain. The world sees you now for what you are.”
Shelby County Deputy District Attorney Paul Hagerman recommended sentences of 40 and 20 years for the conspiracy and firearm possession charges, respectively, and requested they be added consecutively to Johnson’s life sentence for first-degree murder.
However, Johnson’s attorney, Luke Evans, argued against consecutive sentences, noting that Johnson’s current life sentence means he will not qualify for parole until his mid-to-late 70s. He requested that the additional sentences be served concurrently.
Johnson’s legal team recently filed a motion on October 25, 2024, seeking to vacate his sentence and grant him a new trial. The motion claimed insufficient evidence for his first-degree murder conviction and argued that the court erred by allowing graphic crime scene and autopsy photos as evidence. Additionally, they argued that the court was mistaken in denying Johnson’s motions to sit at counsel table.
Young Dolph was killed on November 17, 2021, at Makeda’s Homemade Butter Cookies in Memphis. Shortly after he entered the store, two masked gunmen drove up and opened fire, tragically ending the rapper’s life.
