Young Dolph’s Alleged Murder Mastermind Catches Big Break

A Tennessee judge decided not to revoke the bond of Hernandez Govan, the man accused of ordering a hit on Young Dolph, at a court hearing on Friday (July 12). Govan avoided a return to jail despite getting arrested while out on bond in the murder case.

Judge Jennifer Mitchell allowed Govan to remain out of jail since prosecutors did not ask to revoke his bond, per FOX 13 Memphis. Govan is scheduled to face trial for Young Dolph’s 2021 murder in September.

Govan was arrested in Southaven, Mississippi on June 23. He was charged with stalking, driving with a suspended license and having an improperly mounted license tag. He secured his release from the DeSoto County Jail by posting a $2,250 bond.

Young Dolph was shot and killed at a Memphis bakery in 2021. Four men were charged in connection to his death.

Govan, Justin Johnson and Cornelius Smith faced first-degree murder charges. All three men pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Prosecutors said Govan was the man behind the plot to kill Young Dolph. Johnson and Smith allegedly carried out the hit.

Johnson and Smith remain behind bars. Govan was released on a $90,000 bond in 2023.

A fourth suspect, Johnson’s brother Jermarcus, accepted a plea deal in the murder case. He pleaded guilty to three counts of accessory after the fact. He awaits sentencing.

Trial delays and Govan’s bond upset Young Dolph’s longtime partner Mia Jaye. She said the legal process was “disheartening, unfair, triggering and hurtful.”

“My love’s life was taken… and to be left behind to see NO ONE be held accountable in the court of law for the act… is INSANE,” she wrote on social media.

Young Dolph, whose real name was Adolph Thornton Jr., is survived by Jaye and their two children. He was 36.