Overview

• After roughly three hours of deliberation, a Shelby County jury found Govan not guilty of first-degree murder and conspiracy in the 2021 ambush outside a Memphis bakery.
• Prosecutors relied on admitted shooter Cornelius Smith Jr., who testified Govan supplied guns, tipped off Young Dolph’s visit, and expected a $10,000 cut, alongside phone records linking key players.
• The defense attacked the police investigation and said the communications lacked direct incriminating content, arguing Smith’s shifting accounts and financial ties undercut his credibility.
• Justin Johnson was convicted in 2024 and is serving a life sentence, while Smith still faces murder and conspiracy charges without a set trial date.
• Govan thanked the jury and said he planned to see his son; District Attorney Steve Mulroy said he respects the verdict, and Young Dolph collaborator Key Glock appeared to criticize the outcome in a since-deleted post, according to social media reports.