Young Dolph's Murder Suspect Released From Jail, According To Officials

BYHayley Hynes11.6K Views
Link Copied to Clipboard!
2021 ONE Musicfest
Rapper Young Dolph attends 2021 ONE Musicfest at Centennial Olympic Park on October 09, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)

Shundale Barnett bonded out of Tarrant County Jail on Christmas Eve. He's facing charges for being an accessory after the fact in the PRE rapper's death.

Over a year after the tragic murder of Young Dolph, one of his alleged killers is no longer in jail. FOX13 Memphis shared the news on Friday (January 20), revealing that Shundale Barnett is presently a free man.

The accused criminal was arrested this time last year at an Indiana gas station in connection with the gruesome killing. At the same time, his believed co-conspirator, Justin Johnson, was also taken into police custody. According to U.S. Marshals, the former was in the passenger seat of the car during the shooting, while the latter was the driver.

Barnett actually bonded out of the Tarrant County Jail in Fort Worth, Texas on Christmas Eve. Before that, he spent time in the Clay County Jail.

As AllHipHop notes, a third suspect, Cornelius Smith appeared in Shelby County criminal court yesterday. He and Johnson are both looking at new charges of conspiracy in the late rapper's death. A conviction could mean anywhere from 15 to 60 more years in prison for the men.

Aside from the recently added charges, both alleged killers are facing first-degree murder, weapons possession, and theft. Barnett, for his part, is an accessory after the fact.

Rapper Young Dolph performs at Young Dolph in Concert at The Tabernacle on January 25, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia.(photo by Prince Williams/Wireimage)

As his friends, family, and fans continue to mourn their loss, those Dolph left behind are doing their part to keep his legacy alive. Earlier this month, a pop-up museum came to New York City, honouring the fallen star.

"The goal of the pop-up museum is to showcase the character of a leader and businessman, and to highlight the journey of someone whose early beginnings may mirror that of many young kids and entrepreneurs starting, so that they may draw inspiration to keep pushing on their own endeavours," PRE CEO, Daddy-O explained in a statement.

Back in December, Paper Route Empire delivered Young Dolph's first posthumous project. Key Glock, Gucci Mane, 2 Chainz, Big Moochie Grape, and SNUPE BANDZ all appear on the album.

Revisit Paper Route Frank here, and check back later for more hip-hop news updates. RIP.

[Via] [Via]

About The Author
Hayley Hynes is the former Weekend Managing Editor of HotNewHipHop, she stepped down after two years in 2024 to pursue other creative opportunities but remains on staff part-time to cover music, gossip, and pop culture news. Currently, she contributes similar content on Blavity and 21Ninety, as well as on her personal blog where she also offers tarot/astrology services. Hayley resides on the western side of Canada, previously spending a year in Vancouver to study Fashion Marketing at Blanche Macdonald Centre and Journalism at Mount Royal University in Calgary before that. She's passionate about helping others heal through storytelling, and shares much more about her life on Instagram @hayleyhynes.