A juror in Younger Dolph homicide case mentioned Hernandez Govan ought to by no means have been tried because of weak proof.
Hernandez Govan walked free after a jury discovered him not responsible within the Younger Dolph homicide trial, with the jury foreman later saying the case ought to have by no means reached a courtroom.
The panel reached its choice after simply three hours of deliberation, concluding that prosecutors failed to satisfy the authorized customary of proof.
The foreman, chatting with WREG, pointed to the prosecution’s reliance on Cornelius Smith—a co-defendant-turned-witness—and his girlfriend, Angela, each of whom the jury discovered to be unreliable.
“It’s not what you recognize, it’s what you’ll be able to show in courtroom. Assertion after assertion, he was rebutted by his personal statements. So if that is the prosecution’s star witness, that case ought to have by no means went to trial,” the jury foreman mentioned.
Govan had confronted expenses of first-degree homicide and conspiracy in reference to the November 2021 killing of the Memphis rapper outdoors Makeda’s Selfmade Butter Cookies.
Prosecutors alleged Govan helped coordinate the capturing, performing as a intermediary between the suspected mastermind and the shooters.
Smith testified that Govan recruited him and Justin Johnson to hold out the hit, allegedly providing $100,000. Nonetheless, the protection attacked Smith’s credibility, arguing he was attempting to scale back his personal sentence and noting inconsistencies in his testimony.
Telephone data confirmed contact between Govan, Smith, Johnson and Massive Jook, who prosecutors mentioned was tied to a feud between Younger Dolph’s Paper Route Empire and Yo Gotti’s CMG.
However the jury wasn’t satisfied the digital path proved Govan’s involvement in planning the homicide.
“It’s not what was there, however what wasn’t there,” the foreman added, explaining that the dearth of arduous proof finally led to Govan’s acquittal.
Regardless of the emotional weight of the case, the jury targeted strictly on the authorized threshold.
“It’s a must to perceive, I don’t suppose anyone—however I’ll simply go along with myself—felt nice concerning the verdict,” the foreman mentioned. “There have been tears afterwards. Even the decide mentioned, ‘This can be a large factor.’”
Govan hugged his legal professional and thanked the decide earlier than strolling out a free man on August 21, 2025.
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