Confessed Young Dolph Shooter Cornelius Smith Avoids Life Sentence After Cooperating With Memphis Murder Prosecutors

Young Dolph’s murder case reached its final major sentencing Thursday after Cornelius Smith received 20 years in prison for his role in the 2021 killing that stunned Memphis and the hip hop world.

Smith appeared in Shelby County Criminal Court on May 15, closing another legal chapter in a prosecution that reshaped Memphis hip hop and fueled years of courtroom testimony and gang related allegations surrounding the city’s rap scene.

Young Dolph, born Adolph Thornton Jr., was shot and killed on November 17, 2021, while visiting Makeda’s Homemade Butter Cookies on Airways Boulevard. Investigators used surveillance footage, phone records, and witness statements to reconstruct the daytime ambush outside the bakery.

Reported by FOX13 Memphis, Smith admitted during earlier testimony that he fired multiple rounds during the attack alongside Justin Johnson. Prosecutors presented footage showing both men arriving near the scene inside a stolen white Mercedes Benz moments before gunfire erupted.

Smith told jurors he could not count how many shots were fired during the killing. He also identified himself and Johnson inside surveillance video shown during proceedings.

Johnson was convicted in September 2024 and sentenced to life in prison plus 50 additional years after jurors found him guilty of first degree murder, conspiracy, and related charges involving the homicide.

Repeated delays slowed Smith’s sentencing because of security concerns involving the Tennessee Department of Correction. His cooperation with prosecutors eventually became central to the broader prosecution surrounding Dolph’s death.

During testimony, Smith alleged that Anthony “Big Jook” Mims, the late brother of Memphis rapper Yo Gotti, offered $100,000 in exchange for Dolph’s killing. Authorities examined financial records, rivalries, communications, and relationships tied to the accusation.

Young Dolph built one of hip hop’s most respected independent careers through Paper Route Empire, earning praise for maintaining ownership over much of his music, publishing, and business ventures without relying heavily on major label control.

Fans gathered outside court appearances and memorial sites as Memphis continued processing the loss of one of the city’s most recognizable artists.

Dolph was 36 years old when he died.

For many people across Memphis, Thursday’s sentencing closed a courtroom process that stretched across years. Grief surrounding Young Dolph’s death, however, still lingers through murals, music, memories, and streets where his rise began long before national fame arrived.