One of the men responsible for the 2021 killing of Young Dolph appeared in court Thursday as the case continues to move toward resolution.
Cornelius Smith, who has admitted to being one of the shooters in Dolph’s death, briefly stood before a judge while attorneys confirmed that a plea agreement is in place. “
We are not going to be going to trial,” Smith’s attorney, Michael Scholl, told the court. “We’ll be disposing of this on a plea.”
Smith was expected to formally enter the plea during the hearing, but both sides requested more time to work through the remaining details.
“There is a guilty plea that has been arrived at,” said Shelby County deputy district attorney Paul Hagerman. “The attorneys have to get with the Department of Corrections regarding technicalities with regard to his confinement.”
More than four years after Young Dolph’s murder, the final suspect connected to his death is set to take a plea deal.
— XXL Magazine (@XXL) February 13, 2026
On Thursday (Feb. 12), Fox 13 Memphis reported that Cornelius Smith, 36, agreed to enter a plea deal in his case after confessing to being one of the gunmen who… pic.twitter.com/J3irkvecaf
Smith previously testified against Justin Johnson, the other shooter, describing how the attack was carried out in search of money. During earlier testimony, Smith said the hit was connected to Big Jook, the brother of Yo Gotti.
According to Scholl, Smith is ready to close this chapter. “He’s ready to be done with the matter and move on with his life,” he said.
Hagerman noted that members of Dolph’s family continue to attend every hearing. “That gives them a little bit of closure,” he said.
Smith is expected to officially accept the plea on March 30.
