Dallas rapper Yella Beezy has been found guilty of capital murder in the 2020 killing of fellow rapper MO3. A Dallas County jury returned the unanimous verdict on Wednesday, November 11, bringing a major development in a case that has followed the hip-hop community for six years.
Beezy, whose legal name is Markies Conway, 35, was convicted in connection with the shooting death of Melvin Noble, known professionally as MO3. According to the Associated Press, Beezy was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
What prosecutors said happened
MO3 was driving on Interstate 35 in south Dallas around midday on November 11, 2020, when authorities say gunman Kewon White pulled alongside his vehicle. White got out and chased MO3 along the freeway while firing a weapon, according to trial accounts reported by the Associated Press.
Prosecutors said White fired more than 40 rounds during the attack. MO3, who was 28, was taken to a hospital, where he died. A bystander inside another vehicle was also shot but survived.
Prosecutors alleged the killing grew out of a years-long feud between the two Dallas artists and argued Conway paid White $40,000 to carry out the shooting. White was separately convicted of capital murder in September and also received a life sentence without parole.
The defense disputed the case
Beezy pleaded not guilty and denied involvement. During closing arguments, defense attorneys argued that the prosecution’s case relied on speculation and challenged the credibility of witnesses and the interpretation of financial and other evidence.
One witness, Theodore Thomas, who had previously given grand jury testimony describing a feud, later told jurors that he had made up parts of that account. The conflicting testimony became one of several contested issues during the trial.
What happens next?
The verdict makes Beezy the second man convicted in connection with MO3’s killing. Another defendant, Devin Brown, has also been charged in the case and is expected to face a separate trial, according to reporting from the Associated Press and local outlets.
MO3’s death sent shockwaves through Dallas hip-hop and sparked an outpouring of tributes from fans and fellow artists. The case has remained closely watched because of the artists’ public history and the allegations surrounding the freeway ambush.
The Shade Wire will continue following developments in the case.
