Accused mastermind of Young Dolph killing found not guilty
A jury acquitted Hernandez Govan, 45, of charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder Thursday.
Aarron Fleming
Aarron Fleming covers public safety for The Daily Memphian. He began at The Daily Memphian in 2022, covering education before moving to public safety the following year. He is a graduate of the University of Memphis.
There are 814 articles by Aarron Fleming :
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August 2025
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Public Safety After not guilty verdict, Hernandez Govan wants to hug his son and leave Memphis
Hernandez Govan was acquitted of being behind the 2021 death of Young Dolph.
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Public Safety Young Dolph case trial: What attorneys said during closing arguments
Here’s what both the defense and the prosecution said in closing statements before the jury left to deliberate Wednesday afternoon.
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Public Safety Prosecution rests in trial for man accused of planning Young Dolph’s killing
Prosecutors rested their case Wednesday morning, Aug. 20, in the trial for the man accused of planning Young Dolph’s death in 2021.
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Public Safety ‘Choices can mean life and death:’ Trial begins for man accused of planning Young Dolph’s killing
Hernandez Govan faces life in prison on charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder.
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Man accused of masterminding Young Dolph slaying is set for trial
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Public Safety Jury deliberations in Young Dolph murder trial to begin Wednesday afternoon
Jurors will decide the fate of Hernandez Govan, the man accused of organizing Young Dolph’s 2021 murder.
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Public Safety Cellphone data details alleged conspiracy to kill Young Dolph
Prosecutors used cellphone data to attempt to tie the man accused of organizing the Memphis rapper’s 2021 murder to the crime. But his lawyer said the evidence proved something else.
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Public Safety New witness takes stand on day two of trial for man accused of plotting Young Dolph’s killing
The long-time girlfriend of the self-confessed shooter of the Memphis rapper took the stand for the first time and jurors also heard from two investigators.
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Public Safety First day wraps in trial for man accused of organizing Young Dolph’s killing
The first day of trial for the man accused of organizing the Memphis rapper’s murder ended with the testimony from a key witness: one of the self-confessed shooters.
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Public Safety Man accused of shooting Memphis rapper admits to previous attempted killing
“We getting fed up with playing. We gone get someone,” said Cornelius Smith as he explained how he attempted to kill another rapper before allegedly shooting Young Dolph.
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Public Safety Man accused of masterminding Young Dolph slaying is set for trial
The trial starts Monday for Hernandez Govan, who allegedly arranged the 2021 hit on rapper Adolph Thornton Jr.
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Public SafetyEzekiel Kelly terrorized Memphis for roughly 20 hours. It took three years to reach a resolution.
The Daily Memphian explains what happened during that day of mayhem and attempts to answer a question many Memphians may be asking: What took so long to close this case?
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Shelby CountyWing Guru must pay Ja Morant, judge rules
A Memphis-based wing chain restaurant must pay Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant, a judge ruled Friday.
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Public SafetyA Memphis man was sentenced to hundreds of years in prison. He isn’t Tennessee’s first.
Ezekiel Kelly, who carried out a city-wide shooting spree in 2022, was sentenced to hundreds of years behind bars. He isn’t the first to see that much time.
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Metro Mass shooter sentenced to hundreds of years in prison
Ezekiel Kelly pleaded guilty to all 28 charges he was facing, which included three counts of first-degree murder and the commission of an act of terrorism.
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Public Safety Man accused of city-wide shooting spree to plead guilty, lawyer says
The man accused of going on a city-wide shooting spree in 2022 plans to plead guilty, his lawyer told The Daily Memphian.
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Midtown Memphis Zoo’s only male lion dies
Although not a native Memphian, he was the “face of the Memphis Zoo” for nearly 15 years.
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Public SafetyMan paralyzed after being stabbed 17 times at 201 Poplar
The victim told The Daily Memphian how the alleged assault began.
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Public Safety Former Memphis police officer pleads guilty to federal kidnapping, murder charges
Accused of kidnapping and killing a man in 2021, the former MPD officer pleaded guilty to five of the charges he was facing.
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Public Safety Causes of death confirmed for two more Shelby County jail inmates
The deaths are two of at least seven housed at the overcrowded jail to die this year.
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Public Safety Attorney argues to have Cleotha Abston rape conviction overturned
Cleotha Abston was convicted last year for raping Alicia Franklin in 2021. He later pleaded guilty to the murder of Eliza Fletcher in 2022, and was sentenced to life in prison.
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Public Safety 201 Poplar inmate cause of death revealed
Darian Nolen, 33, died at the Regional Medical Center at Memphis the night of Feb. 6.
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Public Safety Memphis nonprofit to bail out ‘nonviolent’ inmates
Memphis criminal justice reform nonprofit Just City already has a list of around 30 people for whom it will pay bail.
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Public SafetyLatest inmate death is at least seventh at Shelby County Jail in 2025
A 33-year-old inmate died Monday at the Shelby County Jail, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
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July 2025
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Public SafetyWhere do wrongful death lawsuits against the jail stand?
Multiple lawsuits have been filed in recent years over inmate deaths at the Shelby County Jail. Here is where some of them stand.
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