MO3 Murder: Jury seated in Dallas rapper murder-for-hire trial
MO3 Murder: Expert talks jury selection, plea deals
David Finn is a longtime Dallas criminal defense attorney and former criminal court judge. He joined FOX 4 News to share some insight on the MO3 murder case, jury selection for defendant Kewon White, and how a possible plea deal might impact accused rapper Yella Beezy.
DALLAS - Jury selection finished on Tuesday in a Dallas murder trial involving feuding rappers.
Rapper MO3 was fatally shot on Interstate 35 back in 2020. Prosecutors allege the shooting was part of a murder-for-hire plot organized by rapper Yella Beezy.
Kewon White, the alleged gunman, will be the first of three defendants to stand trial.
Jury Seated
Kewon White
What we know:
A jury selection process that began on Monday in White’s case ended at 6:35 p.m. on Tuesday, with the jury being seated.
Judge Chika Anyiam was hoping to narrow down a pool of 77 prospective jurors to a panel of 12.
The jury will report to the courthouse at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, with court getting underway at 9 a.m. with opening statements.
FOX 4 is planning to livestream the opening statements and trial testimony once it begins on Wednesday.
The trial is expected to last about two and a half weeks. Court will take place from Monday through Friday, with no weekend dates set.
Jury selection in the case of rapper MO3 murder
Rapper MO3 was fatally shot on Interstate 35 back in 2020. Prosecutors allege the shooting was part of a murder-for-hire plot organized by rapper Yella Beezy
What they're saying:
A local expert shared some insight into what evidence might play into jury selection.
"They will want to know if the prospective jurors, what their feelings are with regard to rap music, what their feelings are with regards to how seriously they might take those lyrics," said Alison Richardson, a trial consultant who specializes in jury selection and jury decisions.
Expert shares insight on Dallas rapper murder trial
A murder for hire plot is at the center of a Dallas County trial this week. Attorneys are in the process of seating a jury for Kewon White, who is the gunman accused in the 2020 shooting of rapper MO3. Prosecutors claim he was hired by fellow rapper Yella Beezy. FOX 4's Shaun Rabb and Steven Dial talk about the case with Alison Richardson, who specializes in jury selection, jury behavior, and deliberations.
Bloggers Banned
Dig deeper:
Several bloggers were banned from the courtroom on Monday, with the judge citing "intimidation" as the reason for removal.
They were harassing and recording video of the potential jurors, according to reports from the courtroom.
MO3 Murder
The backstory:
MO3, whose real name was Melvin Noble, was gunned down in the middle of the busy interstate. The deadly shooting shocked the local hip-hop community.
But prosecutors allege it wasn’t random. They believe Noble was targeted as part of a murder-for-hire plot.
Prosecutors argue there was a long-running feud between Noble and Dallas rapper Yella Beezy, whose real name is Markies Conway.
Conway is accused of orchestrating the killing and hiring Kewon White to carry it out. He pleaded not guilty to capital murder and denies involvement.
Dallas rapper Yella Beezy charged with hiring hitman to kill fellow rapper Mo3
Investigators now say rapper Yella Beezy was behind the ambush-style murder of fellow rapper Mo3 in the middle of the day on I-35 back in 2020.
White is already serving time for an unrelated gun charge. He now faces capital murder for MO3’s death.
A third defendant, Devin Brown, is also charged with capital murder. Prosecutors said he was in the car with White and was seen in surveillance video walking up Noble while wearing a ski mask.
What's next:
While White is the first defendant to face trial, the judge told Conway and Brown’s legal teams to be ready to start this week too if something changes.
The Source: The information in this story comes from courtroom updates, interviews with trial experts, and past news coverage.