Final suspect in Young Dolph slaying gets 20-year sentence
Cornelius Smith pleaded guilty to his role in the murder of Young Dolph on May 15, 2026. (Brandon LaGrone II/The Daily Memphian)
Prosecutor Paul Hagerman said Cornelius Smith’s cooperation was vital to securing convictions in the “complex case.”
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Young Dolph Cornelius SmithBrandon LaGrone II
Brandon LaGrone Jr. is a Bluff City native who has earned an undergraduate degree in journalism from LSU’s Manship School. He’s written for publications including The (Baton Rouge) Advocate and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Aarron Fleming
Once an intern, he never left, joining the staff full-time in 2022 as an education reporter. He moved to public safety in 2023, where he covered some of the city’s biggest court cases, including the criminal trials for those charged in the deaths of Tyré Nichols and rapper Young Dolph. He also chronicled the Shelby County Jail and the deaths that have occurred at the facility.
He now provides suburban coverage, focusing on Desoto County and the surrounding municipalities.
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