A suspect in the November murder of Young Dolph has been arrested in Indiana, according to TMZ. The publication reports that Justin Johnson, who was identified over the weekend as a suspect in the case, was taken into custody on Tuesday, nearly two months after the shooting. He faces charges for first-degree murder, criminal attempt first-degree murder, and theft of property between $10,000-$60,000. According to Stereogum, a second suspect in the case, 32-year-old Cornelius Smith, was previously indicted on several charges, including first-degree murder. Smith was already in jail after he was arrested for an incident that involved the white car that was believed to be the gateway vehicle in Dolph’s murder.
After U.S. Marshals, Memphis Police Department, and the Tennessee Bureau Of Investigation (TBI) identified Johnson as a suspect in Dolph’s shooting and issued a warrant for his arrest, Johnson claimed he was not involved in the crime. Nevertheless, in a post to his Instagram account @straightdroppp, he said he would surrender to police while vouching for his innocence. “Turning myself in Monday @201, I’m innocent,” he wrote. “I’ll be back sooner than you can blink.” Despite this, Monday came and went without him surrendering to the police, as Memphis’ FOX 13 confirmed he was still on the run.
When images of Johnson were shared by U.S. Marshals, Memphis Police Department, and TBI, people quickly noticed that he appeared near Dolph in multiple pictures. In some instances, Johnson was seen wearing a chain that read “PRE,” which is the acronym for Dolph’s Paper Route Empire label.