A Dallas County jury on the sixth anniversary of MO3’s killing found Dallas rapper Yella Beezy guilty of capital murder by remuneration and immediately sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Yella Beezy, whose legal name is Markies Conway, was accused of arranging the 2020 ambush slaying of rival rapper MO3, whose real name was Melvin Noble. Prosecutors said Conway paid Kewon White to carry out the shooting on Interstate 35 in Dallas amid a long-running feud between the two artists.
Conway pleaded not guilty and denied involvement. White was previously convicted of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison. A third defendant, Devin Brown, is still charged with capital murder and is awaiting trial.
The verdict followed a trial built largely on circumstantial evidence. Prosecutor Tommy Adams said the jury reached the right result and pointed to DNA evidence, iCloud messages, mapping analysis by a special agent and the work of Detective Eric Barnes. Adams also noted the timing of the verdict — six years after Noble was killed on Nov. 11, 2020 — and said he believed a higher power had a plan.
Defense attorney Toby Shook said he was disappointed and did not believe the state proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt. He said Conway’s legal team was already preparing an appeal and believed it had strong appellate issues.
During closing arguments, Assistant District Attorney Krystal Biggins described what she called an “Ocean’s 11”-style plot. She said White ambushed Noble on I-35 and fired more than 40 rounds, and she argued that Conway placed a bounty on Noble and used Brown as a tipster and Jerry Johnson as a middleman to coordinate and funnel payments to White. Biggins cited wire transfers, seized cash and testimony from Cedric Bradley, who said White bragged about the murder and demanded payment.
Shook argued for acquittal, saying the state’s case relied on speculation, rap lyrics and investigator tunnel vision. He highlighted conflicts in star witness Theodore Thomas’s testimony and said cell data placed Conway in Frisco rather than at an alleged barbershop meeting. Shook also challenged the financial narrative, saying Conway routinely withdrew large sums in $50 and $100 bills for family expenses, while White had rubber-banded, low-denomination street cash.
Defense attorney John Gussio argued that both artists were successful and lacked motive. He directed jurors toward Brown, saying Brown had an intense personal dispute with Noble and logged 46 calls with White around the time of the shooting. The defense also dismissed Bradley’s testimony as a rehearsed attempt to avoid a federal life sentence.
In his final rebuttal, Adams urged jurors to focus on “motive, money, and the man.” He cited Conway’s return to North Texas, where he withdrew $40,000 in cash, followed by 15 calls between Johnson and White that coincided with Conway’s meetings. Adams rejected claims of police tunnel vision and said the state had proved both payment and remuneration.
After the unanimous verdict was read, some people stormed out of the courtroom and others wept. No members of Noble’s family offered victim impact statements. Conway was handcuffed and taken away. His mugshot was released after he was booked into the Dallas County jail, and he was expected to be transferred to a state prison in the coming days.