A Dallas jury convicted rapper Yella Beezy of capital murder for paying a gunman to kill rival rapper MO3 over a long-running feud, and the verdict brings an automatic life sentence with no parole.
Story Highlights
- Yella Beezy, whose real name is Markies Conway, was found guilty of capital murder for the 2020 killing of MO3, whose real name was Melvin Noble.
- Prosecutors said Conway paid gunman Kewon White to ambush Noble on Interstate 35 in Dallas, after a feud between the two rappers.
- Under Texas law, the conviction carries an automatic sentence of life in prison without parole.
- The defense says the case was circumstantial and plans to appeal.
The Verdict
A Dallas County jury found Conway, 35, guilty of capital murder on Wednesday, November 11, after about six hours of deliberation. The verdict came six years to the day after Noble, 28, was shot and killed on Interstate 35 on November 11, 2020. Conway was convicted of capital murder “by remuneration,” a legal term meaning he paid someone else to do the killing. He was immediately sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Prosecutors said the motive was a feud between the two rappers that dated back to 2017. In closing arguments, they tied the killing to street payback and a bruised ego. Conway pleaded not guilty and denied any role in Noble’s death. Some people left the courtroom angry when the verdict was read, and others cried.
What Prosecutors Told The Jury
Prosecutors said Kewon White chased Noble on the interstate in broad daylight and fired more than 40 rounds. A separate jury convicted White of capital murder in September, and he was sentenced to life in prison. Prosecutors said Conway withdrew $40,000 in cash hours after he returned to North Texas to pay White. They said a middleman, Jerry Johnson, passed the money along. Conway was also accused of offering the money to a second man, Devin Brown, who faces his own trial.
In his closing, prosecutor Tommy Adams urged jurors to focus on “motive, money, and the man.” Jurors heard from a doctor who saw the shooting on the interstate and gave emotional testimony. One witness, rapper Theodore Thomas, had described the feud to a grand jury but told the trial jury he made it up. The judge allowed prosecutors to treat him as a hostile witness, meaning they could question him as if he were on the other side.
What Was Said After The Verdict
Adams told reporters the jury “got it right” and added, “we’re happy about it, of course.” He pointed to DNA, iCloud messages, location mapping by a special agent and the work of the lead detective, Eric Barnes. “There were a lot of things that came together at 11/11, six years later,” Adams said. He said he hugged Noble’s mother after the verdict and thanked the jurors on behalf of the family.
Defense attorney Toby Shook said the state did not prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt. “Well, we really can’t express the disappointment at the verdict,” he said. “We have excellent appellate points and that will be the next step in the fight.” During the trial, the defense argued that Conway often withdrew large amounts of cash for family expenses, that the case rested on guesswork and rap lyrics, and that the lead detective had “tunnel vision.”
Why This Case Matters
Noble was gunned down on a busy Dallas highway in the middle of the day, in front of other drivers. Under Texas law, a person who pays for a killing faces the same capital murder charge as the person who pulls the trigger. In this case, both the man prosecutors called the shooter and the man they said paid him have been convicted and sentenced to life in prison.
The case also put rap lyrics in front of a jury. The defense says lyrics are art, not proof, and that issue is likely to come up again on appeal. Prosecutors pointed instead to DNA, phone messages, cash withdrawals and witness testimony.
Sources:
cbsnews.com, fox5ny.com, fox4news.com, nbcdfw.com, thereporteronline.com, dallasnews.com
