LIVE | Yella Beezy on trial for Dallas rapper MO3's murder
DALLAS - Testimony gets underway on Tuesday in the trial for Yella Beezy, who is accused of orchestrating the murder of rival Dallas rapper MO3.
Yella Beezy, whose real name is Markies Conway, allegedly paid another man to gun down MO3, whose real name is Melvin Noble, in an ambush on Interstate 35 in Dallas in 2020.
On Monday, a panel of 12 jurors were selected to hear the case.
If convicted of capital murder, Conway faces up to life in prison.
His trial is expected to last two to three weeks.
Live Updates
10:20 a.m. Highway witness testifies
A woman who was on the highway when Noble was killed was the next to testify. She also testified during the convicted gunman's capital murder trial.
"When I pulled up to the side of him, I was letting my passenger side window down, and as I was asking, are you okay? That's when I noticed he was getting out of his vehicle and he was pulling his mask down over his face, and he had a gun in his head," she told jurors.
She said the man cursed at her and told her to "get the f--- out of there."
10 a.m. MO3's mom called as first witness
Noble's mother, Nicole Noble, was the first witness called to the stand. She was also the first person to testify during convicted hitman Kewon White's trial.
In her emotional testimony, she recounted believing her son was in California filming a music video on Nov. 11, 2020. She said she discovered several missed calls as people tried to alert her that her son had been shot. After rushing to the hospital, she waited for hours before doctors and police confirmed he had died.
Following the shooting, Nicole Noble told investigators to look into four individuals, including her son's manager, Brandon Rainwater, and fellow rappers Yella Beezy and Trapboy Freddy.
During cross-examination, the defense underscored the division between MO3's stage persona and personal life. Nicole Noble described him as a devoted father of three who financially supported her so she could help raise his children. Defense counsel noted that performing as MO3 was an artistic character distinct from the family man known at home as "Bubba."
9:45 a.m. Opening statements
Prosecutor gives opening statements in Yella Beezy trial | FULL
Prosecutor Tommy Adams addresses jurors for opening statements in Yella Beezy's capital murder trial. He's accused of paying someone to kill fellow Dallas rapper MO3 in an ambush attack on I-35 in 2020.
Prosecutor Tommy Adams went first, talking about Noble's Nov, 11, 2020 highway shooting death. He described it as an orchestrated murder-for-hire that stemmed from an escalating multi-year feud with the defendant. Adams told jurors that evidence from federal and state law enforcement—including surveillance footage, travel logs, and text messages—will be presented piece by piece. He asked them to assemble these puzzle pieces to return a guilty verdict of capital murder.
Yella Beezy's defense gives opening statements | FULL
Defense attorney Toby Shook gives opening statements in Yella Beezy's capital murder trial for the death of fellow Dallas rapper MO3. Yella Beezy, whose real name is Markies Conway, is accused of paying another man to ambush MO3, whose real name is Melvin Noble. That other man was found guilty last month.
Meanwhile, defense attorney Toby Shook urged the jury to hold the state to its high burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt, arguing that the prosecution’s murder-for-hire case against Conway relies on gaps, assumptions, and investigative "tunnel vision." He challenged the state’s financial link by showing that Conway’s bank withdrawal consisted of crisp large bills, whereas the money recovered from White was mixed, small-denomination street money consistent with drug transactions. The defense also pointed to overlooked alternative suspects and motives, including co-defendant Devin Brown’s personal animosity toward Noble. Shook argued that law enforcement ignored these possibilities to force the evidence into a predetermined theory.
9:30 a.m. Alternate juror seated
Judge Chika Anyiam dismissed one of the jurors on the panel because of a child care issue. An alternate juror took his place.
9 a.m. Yella Beezy in Court
Conway entered the Dallas County courtroom for the first day of testimony in his capital murder trial. He was wearing a maroon turtle neck.
MO3 Murder
VIDEO: Rapper Mo3 chased down by hitman on I-35
Prosecutors released video of rapper Mo3 being shot at and chased down by a hitman on I-35 in Dallas. The video was shown during a bond hearing for fellow rapper Yella Beezy who allegedly hired the hitman Kewon Dontrell White.
The backstory:
MO3 was shot 11 times and killed on I-35 back in 2020. Prosecutors allege the shooting was part of a murder-for-hire plot organized by rapper Yella Beezy, whose legal name is Markies Conway. They claim he paid Kewon White to carry out the murder over a long-running feud.
In September, jurors found White guilty of capital murder and sentenced him to life in prison after viewing video and hearing testimony about the shooting. Prosecutors also presented evidence of an alleged payment from Conway to White.
Conway has pleaded not guilty to capital murder and denied involvement. His trial was delayed by a month so that his lawyers could get a copy of White’s trial transcript.
A third defendant, Devin Brown, is also charged with capital murder.
Continued Coverage
- Jury seated in Dallas rapper Yella Beezy’s capital murder trial
- Kewon White’s lawyers seeking a new trial over sleepy juror
- Kewon White files appeal in MO3 murder conviction
- Kewon White found guilty, sentenced to life in prison for MO3's murder
The Source: The information in this story comes from trial testimony and past news coverage.