Although one of the men suspected of killing Young Dolph in 2021 was convicted last September and sentenced to life in prison in November, a few questions remained. One was the fate of another man, Shundale Barnett, who was released just a day after his arrest in 2022, and arrested again earlier this week. Barnett was arrested alongside his cousin Justin Johnson in February 2022, but was released the next day. The U.S. Marshals then issued an arrest warrant after realizing that he may have been involved in the high-profile murder case.
According to local news, though, it now appears Barnett should not have been charged as an accessory after-the-fact and that the warrant for his arrest was never reversed due to a clerical error. His case has since been dropped. Barnett was re-arrested Monday after the warrant was originally issued in February 2022, but released on Tuesday.
As Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy explained on Tuesday, “During the investigation of Justin Johnson, Shundale Barnett was found with Johnson at the time of his arrest in Indiana. Based on this and other facts, a task force officer with the U.S. Marshals determined there was probable cause to charge Barnett with Accessory After the Fact, and an arrest warrant was issued as part of standard procedure. As the investigation progressed, the DA’s Office determined that Barnett was not involved in the case and chose not to pursue charges, indicating the charge would be withdrawn. However, a delay in recalling the warrant left it active in the system. This clerical issue has now been resolved, and the charges against Barnett have been officially dismissed.”
Two other members of the plot were Jermarcus Johnson, Justin’s brother, who has since pled guilty and was sentenced to six months probation; and Hernandez Govan, who is suspected of planning the murder. Govan is expected to go on trial in July.