A Dallas courtroom entered its second day of proceedings Wednesday in the capital murder trial of rapper Yella Beezy, who is accused of arranging the 2020 killing of fellow Dallas rapper MO3 on a busy freeway in broad daylight.
Yella Beezy, whose legal name is Markies Conway, has pleaded not guilty to charges that he paid a hitman to kill Melvin Noble, known professionally as MO3, following a years-long feud between the two artists that prosecutors say began in 2017.
During opening statements on the first day of trial at Dallas County courthouse, prosecutors told jurors they would hear evidence of an escalating conflict that ultimately led Conway to allegedly pay Kewon White $40,000 to carry out the murder. White was convicted of capital murder in September and is currently serving a life sentence.
Noble was gunned down in November 2020 after being chased on foot along Interstate 35E in Dallas. Jurors were shown dash camera footage of a masked gunman stepping out of a black vehicle before the shooting took place.
Prosecutors presented photographs and additional evidence documenting the scene as they worked to build their case against Conway. The state’s theory centers on the claim that Conway directly funded and coordinated the killing.
Defense attorneys pushed back on that narrative arguing that the $40,000 found in White’s possession came from drug proceeds rather than any payment from Conway. Attorney Toby Shook urged jurors to pay close attention to gaps in the prosecution’s evidence and cautioned against making assumptions where the facts fall short.
Shook told jurors that the state would ask them to draw conclusions that the evidence simply does not support and encouraged them to focus on reasonable doubts that emerge throughout the trial.
The case draws significant attention given the public profiles of both men involved. MO3 had built a substantial following in the Dallas rap scene before his death and his killing shocked the local music community.
Conway rose to regional fame with his own music career and has maintained his innocence throughout the legal proceedings. The trial is expected to continue with additional witness testimony as prosecutors work to connect Conway directly to the alleged murder-for-hire arrangement.