Dallas rapper Yella Beezy will go on trial on Sept. 14 for allegedly paying a gunman $40,000 to kill rival rapper MO3 in 2020 after a yearslong, tit-for-tat rap beef.
The gunman, Kewon White, was found guilty of capital murder Friday evening. Prosecutors presented video and cell phone evidence that showed White gunned down MO3, whose real name is Melvin Noble, on I-35 in Dallas.
Prosecutors said Noble's murder was revenge for a 2018 attack on Yella Beezy, real name Markies Conway, who was shot three times on the Sam Rayburn Tollway in Lewisville.
Dallas detective Eric Barnes testified that Noble was connected to that shooting, and it came shortly after the killing of Noble's friend Roy Lee Pate — a Dallas comedian who publicly lashed out at Conway. His murder remains a cold case.
Dallas County Assistant District Attorney Tommy Adams told the jury during closing arguments that Conway chose White to carry out the killing because he was "expendable."
"They thought they were smart," Adams said. "They picked somebody who nobody knew. A no-name."
Prosecutors say another co-defendant in the case — Devin Brown, who was a friend of Conway — was crucial to finding Noble's location a day before the killing.
Noble was dating the mother of Brown's children and was at her apartment on Nov. 10. Brown called his son that day and learned Noble was at the apartment.
Now knowing Noble's location, White parked outside the apartment for 18 hours and waited for Noble to leave.
Once he did eventually leave, White followed him onto the highway and killed him.
"There is beyond any possible doubt that this was over a beef, and that there was a promise and bounty on Melvin Noble's head from Markies Conway and Davarius Moore," Adams said, referring to rapper Trapboy Freddy, who also had rap beef with Noble.
White's lawyer, Bree West, told jurors during closing arguments that detective Barnes' investigation fell apart when trying to prove remuneration — the legal term for payment.
"And it fell apart, not because he didn't do an outstanding job as it relates to finding evidence of a murder, it's that there wasn't evidence of remuneration," West said. "There wasn't evidence of a promise of remuneration."
The question of whether or not there was a payment will be even more central in Conway's trial. He faces a charge of capital murder while remuneration, which carries the punishment of either death or life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Jury selection for Conway's trial is scheduled to begin on Sept. 14.
Dylan Duke is KERA's breaking news reporter. Got a tip? Email Dylan at dduke@kera.org.
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