MEMPHIS, Tenn. — U.S. Marshals, Memphis Police and Shelby County’s district attorney provided new details Wednesday on the suspects charged in the murder of Memphis rapper Young Dolph.
Justin Johnson, 23, also known as Straight Drop, was captured Jan. 11 in Indiana. Another man, Cornelius Smith, 32, was already in custody in Mississippi but was indicted in Shelby County on several charges in this case including first-degree murder.
Johnson was booked into the Shelby County Jail on Jan. 13. He is being charged with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted first-degree murder, two counts of theft of property, unlawful possession of a weapon, and violation of sex offender registry act.
He is expected to appear in court on Jan. 14.
Another man, identified as Shundale Barnett, who is originally from Memphis but lives in Dallas, faces charges of accessory after the fact for a role in helping Johnson, officials said. Barnett was a passenger in the vehicle driven with Johnson when he was captured. He is also being held in the Clay County Indiana Jail and will be extradited back to Memphis.
According to the U.S. Marshals Service, Barnett also faces charges of criminal attempt to commit first-degree murder and theft of property from $10,000 to $60,000.
U.S. Marshal Tyreece Miller said they received more than 500 tips after the announcement of a reward for information on Johnson.
“We went to Indianapolis, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, and Hampton, Virginia checking different addresses, following up on tips,” Miller said.
Law enforcement officers were contacted, and they pulled over Johnson at a truck stop in Brazil, Indiana and took him into custody, the Marshal’s service said. Johnson had been on the run for some time and U.S. Marshal Miller said he did not stay in one place long.
It is unclear if he had a specific reason for being in Indiana.
Memphis Police Chief CJ Davis said the investigation is ongoing, and it is possible there would be more suspects. She said police do not have a theory on a motive for the shooting at this time.
Young Dolph, 36, whose real name was Adolph Thornton Jr., was a Memphis rapper who was shot and killed in a shooting at a cookie shop on Airways Boulevard on Nov. 17.
Police revealed Johnson as a suspect last week. Smith was identified Tuesday, following his indictment by a grand jury on charges of first-degree murder, attempted murder, theft and other charges.
In July 2015, at the age of 17, Johnson was charged with aggravated rape and aggravated robbery, District Attorney Amy Weirich said. In 2017, after his release, he was arrested and sentenced for a shooting at a bowling alley, but was freed nine months later after he requested release.
In May of 2021, following another arrest, he was released from the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Weirich said.
Smith has an earlier charge for aggravated robbery, she said.
Memphis Police Chief CJ Davis said it is possible that more arrests would be made in relation to the late rap star’s death.
“It is very possible. Once we continue to conduct this investigation, there’s no telling where it could potentially lead,” she said. “There could be other individuals who are implicated in this particular homicide.”
