The payment at the center of prosecutors’ case in Mo3’s murder is now being disputed by the man convicted of carrying out the shooting. Kewon White says Yella Beezy did not pay him to kill the Dallas rapper, speaking publicly just one day after a jury found him guilty of capital murder and he was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
White called into a Sept. 5 livestream hosted by MrLawtonTV and pushed back against the murder-for-hire allegation prosecutors spent much of his trial trying to establish. “I didn’t get paid to do nothing, bro,” he said, according to XXL. White also rejected the idea that he was attempting to protect Beezy, whose legal name is Markies Conway, saying his only interest was telling the truth.
The comments are notable because of how White is addressing the case publicly. He did not testify during his trial, leaving his attorneys to challenge the state’s payment theory in court. During closing arguments, defense attorney Bree West conceded that Mo3, born Melvin Noble, had been murdered but argued prosecutors failed to prove White received or was promised money for the killing.
White’s Denial Targets A Key Part Of The State’s Case
Prosecutors argued that Beezy hired White to kill Mo3 following a longstanding conflict between the two Dallas rappers. Detective Eric Barnes testified that investigators believe Beezy and Trapboy Freddy helped finance the alleged plot. Jurors were also shown financial records indicating Beezy withdrew $40,000 on Nov. 20, 2020, nine days after Mo3 was killed. Prosecutors did not contend that the entire withdrawal went directly to White.
The state instead alleged that White ultimately received $20,000. During closing arguments, Assistant District Attorney Tommy Adams told jurors the evidence showed White killed Mo3 because Beezy had paid or promised to pay him. White’s defense argued there was no proof of either remuneration or a promise of payment. The jury deliberated for roughly three hours before convicting White on Sept. 4.
White is not disputing the sentence he received in the livestream comments, and he acknowledged that he has to live with choices he made. What he is challenging is the prosecution’s explanation for why Mo3 was killed and Beezy’s alleged role in arranging it.
Meanwhile, Yella Beezy has pleaded not guilty to the capital murder charge against him. Prosecutors must prove their allegations against him separately. Jury selection in Beezy’s trial is currently scheduled to begin Sept. 14 in Dallas. Devin Brown, another defendant charged with capital murder in connection with Mo3’s killing, is also awaiting trial.
