By Chase Rogers
Staff Writer
On Nov. 11, 2020, a gunman chased Dallas rapper MO3 across Interstate 35E and shot him dead in broad daylight. Exactly six years later, a Dallas County jury convicted fellow rapper Yella Beezy of capital murder for hiring the shooter.
Over nearly two weeks of testimony, prosecutors traced the motive to a feud between the rappers that began on social media and turned violent. The case relied on circumstantial evidence, including video of Yella Beezy and the gunman onstage together at a Houston concert in the days leading up to the shooting.
Yella Beezy, whose legal name is Markies Conway, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Conway, 35, showed no visible reaction as the verdict was read Wednesday. Shortly after, he was placed in handcuffs. Many of Conway’s relatives and supporters immediately left the courtroom, some crying or angrily denouncing the verdict as they went.
The family of Melvin Noble, who performed as MO3, didn’t give a victim impact statement. Victims’ families are generally offered the chance to address the defendant directly after sentencing.
Outside the courtroom, Tommy Adams, the lead prosecutor, spoke of the numbers that stood out.
It was “11/11” — six years since Noble’s death. The lead detective had testified three times. And it was 3 p.m. when he hugged Noble’s mother after the verdict was read.
“I do believe in a higher power and I believe God has a plan,” Adams said while fielding questions from a gaggle of reporters and bloggers. “It was a lot of sleepless nights for everybody here that was involved, and I believe that this happened for a reason this way.”
The case drew attention far beyond the courtroom, with rap bloggers following the proceedings and fans debating about the feud involving two of Dallas’ best-known rappers.
Wednesday’s conviction was the second in Noble’s killing. In September, a separate jury convicted the gunman of capital murder.
Conway’s lead defense attorney, Toby Shook, said he was disappointed by Wednesday’s verdict and questioned whether prosecutors had proven their case beyond a reasonable doubt.
“We’re going to keep fighting,” Shook said. “We have excellent appellate points, and that’s the next step in the fight.”
Jurors began deliberating Wednesday morning and returned a verdict more than five hours later. During deliberations, jurors wrote notes to State District Judge Chika Anyiam asking to review several exhibits, including transcripts of the lyrics to two of Conway’s songs.
Prosecutors argued the lyrics reflected Conway’s lived experience, pointing to passages referencing bounties and paying someone to kill. Before the trial, the defense had sought to keep any of Conway’s music out of the trial, arguing the songs are examples of artistic expression.
The two songs come off an May 2020 album Conway recorded with rapper Trapboy Freddy, whose legal name is Devarius Moore.
Prosecutors said Moore helped fund MO3’s killing, but the lead detective on the case, Eric Barnes, testified that Moore had not been charged with murder because investigators lacked probable cause.
The album also features a song with Theodore Thomas, a childhood friend of Conway’s who performs under the name Jose Bodega.
Thomas had previously implicated Conway in the killing while testifying before a grand jury. But when he took the stand this month, he disavowed that account, saying he had lied under oath.
Conway was accused of using two other men to figure out Noble’s location and to give the gunman, Kewon White, the money for the killing.
Both men, Devin Brown and Jerry Johnson, are also charged in connection with Noble’s death. White, 27, was sentenced in September to life in prison without parole.
After the jury returned its verdict Wednesday, Conway was led out of the courtroom. When he came back, he called out to the judge. Could he kiss his young son?
The judge left it to the bailiff.
By then, someone had already taken his son out of the courtroom.
This article has been updated throughout with details from the courtroom and reactions from attorneys.
