Young Dolph was shot 22 times in the hail of gunfire that ended the famed rapper’s life at a Memphis bakery last November, new autopsy results reported by WHBQ-TV reveal.
The findings from the West Tennessee Regional Forensic Center say that the musician, born Adolph Thorton Jr., was shot in his left chest, left abdomen, right chin, right neck, right shoulder, both arms and multiple times in his back, the station reported.
Young Dolph’s aunt, Rita Myers, said Tuesday she was still waiting to see the report and bracing herself considering the details already reported by local media.
“It’s difficult to process. This takes us through it all again. We’re going through a whole lot right now, and this adds to it,” Myers tells Rolling Stone.
In a January interview the week her nephew’s murder suspects were publicly identified, Myers said her family was still reeling: “Our family has suffered a tremendous loss, because he was the glue that held our family together.”
Young Dolph’s brazen daylight assassination unfolded Nov. 17, 2021, when two gunmen traveling in a stolen Mercedes-Benz ambushed the artist as he visited a Makeda’s Homemade Butter Cookies in his hometown.
Suspects Justin Johnson, 23, and Cornelius Smith, 32, were later indicted in the case. They pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder charges through defense lawyers in Shelby County Criminal Court last month.
Young Dolph was born in Chicago but moved to Memphis with his parents as a toddler. He gained notoriety with the 2008 mixtape Paper Route Campaign, then later with his 2016 debut album King of Memphis and his collaborations with Megan Thee Stallion, T.I., and Gucci Mane.
The acclaimed rapper, 36, was known for giving back to his community as well and working with up-and-coming local talent through his independent label, Paper Route Empire, also known as PRE.
Johnson, one of the men named in the murder indictment, was pursuing his own rap career under the name Straight Drop, prosecutors previously confirmed. His now-deactivated Instagram account featured a photo posted Nov. 5 in which he was wearing a large “PRE” pendant on a chain at his waist.
Prosecutors said last month they believe they know the motive for the senseless slaying, but they did not reveal it. The next hearing for the alleged gunmen was set for March 24.
From Rolling Stone US
