Yella Beezy murder trial testimony on Day 2 focuses on crime scene evidence, surveillance photos

DALLAS - Jurors heard a second day of testimony in the trial for Yella Beezy, who is accused of orchestrating a murder for hire plot that killed Dallas rapper MO3.

Yella Beezy, whose real name is Markies Conway, is accused of paying another man to gun down MO3, whose real name is Melvin Noble, in an ambush on Interstate 35 in Dallas in 2020.

Prosecutors allege Conway hired Kewon White to carry out the murder over a long-running feud.

Conway has pleaded not guilty to capital murder and denied involvement.

White has already been convicted of capital murder for Noble’s death.

A third defendant, Devin Brown, is also charged with capital murder.

Conway's trial is expected to last about two weeks.

Live Updates

4:30 p.m. ATF agent testifies

Testimony wrapped up for the day with testimony from the ATF agent who found a concealed firearm in Noble's gold Honda Accord several years after the shooting.

ATF Special Agent Derek Wright said federal and local task force officers conducted a targeted search on the vehicle in the Dallas Police Department impound lot on Oct. 18, 2023. His now-retired explosives detection canine, Chewbacca, alerted investigators to something near the car’s front passenger seat. After a closer inspection, the agents found a hidden Glock pistol. Wright testified the firearm was deliberately concealed and not easily accessible.

State prosecutors entered the handgun and vehicle photos into evidence before questioning Wright about the ATF’s NIBIN ballistics database, explaining how spent casings and tool marks link firearms to distinct crime scenes.

Court adjourned shortly before 4:30 p.m. Testimony is expected to resume at 9 a.m. on Thursday.

3:30 p.m. More evidence collected

Dallas Police Officer Scott Bazan testified that he was asked to execute a search warrant at a home at 3030 Britton Avenue in Dallas. He talked about doing a systematic sweep of the residence as he recovered key items including several firearms, a hidden DVR, cellphones belonging to co-defendants Kewon White and Devon Brown, and suspected narcotics. Bazan clarified that his role was strictly documentation and evidence collection.

Under cross-examination, Bazan agreed that the property resembled an active "trap house" or a high-traffic home used in drug dealings. Jurors heard testimony about an interior security gate with a lock, a nine-screen monitor streaming exterior surveillance feeds, bagged marijuana, and bottles of promethazine with codeine.

Defense attorneys also showed photographs of two children seated on red couches holding stacks of cash. They appeared to be wearing gold "GRC" chains similar to those described in a Manhattan Jewelers receipt found inside a Gucci bag. These photos were not shown during Kewon White's trial.

However, on re-direct, prosecutors pointed out that no large stacks of cash or high-end chains were ever recovered from the residence. Furthermore, the state highlighted that a Texas ID card for Devon Brown recovered as evidence listed a Duncanville address, rather than the Britton Avenue property.

2 p.m. Detective testifies on evidence photos

Jurors heard testimony from Dallas Police Det. Seth Rosenberg detailing evidence seized under search warrants. He first walked the court through photos of Noble's gold Honda Accord at the Dallas auto pound, showing bullet strikes to the driver’s door. Rosenberg confirmed he removed the interior door panel but was unable to recover any fired bullets.

Testimony then shifted to a search at a residence located at 3915 Ramona Avenue, connected to the same case number. Rosenberg identified suspected marijuana, codeine, a cracked cell phone, and a DVR unit recovered from the home.

Prosecutors admitted two semiautomatic rifles and high-capacity drum magazines that were recovered from the Ramona Avenue home. The defense objected, claiming the weapons were cumulative and prejudicial. But the state argued a ballistics expert will later tie the seized firearms to evidence recovered from the shooting scene and the autopsy.

The defense cross-examined him on the timelines, law enforcement coordination involving DPD homicide detectives and an ATF task force officer. Jurors were shown more crime scene photos, including photos of counterfeit money, a credit card embosser machine used for fraudulent cards, pills, marijuana gummies, and multiple boxes labeled as liquid promethazine.

1:30 p.m. Jocylynn Jackson's neighbor testifies

Vanessa Armenta took the stand, recounting how investigators approached her shortly after Noble's death to collect home surveillance video. Armenta lived at the Arroyo Apartments on West Ledbetter Drive directly above Jocylynn Jackson, the woman Noble was dating. Jurors viewed diagrams of the complex and video recorded from Armenta’s window facing the parking lot.

Armenta pointed out an unfamiliar black Chevrolet Camaro parked across the street that later drove away. A subsequent clip captured video of Jackson outside the apartment making a "commotion." During cross-examination, the defense questioned whether Jackson sounded emotional on the recording.

1 p.m. Morning recap and expert commentary

11:50 a.m. Lunch Break

The court went to recess for a 1-hour lunch break. Testimony is expected to resume around 1 p.m.

11:45 a.m. Surveillance video of the cars

Jurors saw surveillance video of Noble's gold Honda Accord traveling on Ledbetter Drive near Interstate 35 just before the ambush took place. It was followed by a black Chevrolet Camaro traveling in the same direction about 40 seconds later.

11:30 a.m. Analysis of MO3's car and suspect photos

Dallas Police Crime Scene Supervisor Justin O'Donnell took the stand to talk about the physical evidence collected during the investigation after the shooting occurred.

O'Donnell told jurors that investigators towed the victim's gold Honda to the city auto pound on Vilbig Road for a controlled search under a warrant. Inside, police cataloged widespread gunfire damage, including bullet strikes to the driver’s door and personal items. Officers recovered high-end jewelry and $17,960 in cash stored in a backpack, jeans pockets, and scattered across floorboards. No firearms were found during that initial search, though O'Donnell acknowledged one was discovered later. Noble's driver's license was also inventoried from the car.

Jurors were then shown photographs O'Donnell took on Dec. 9, 2020, following the arrest of suspect Kewon White at Dallas police headquarters. O'Donnell documented White's tattoos and jewelry, highlighting an assault rifle tattoo on White's forearm and a necklace charm featuring the letters "GRC" alongside an assault rifle design. O'Donnell also confirmed swabbing a firearm for DNA during White's processing.

10:30 a.m. Crime scene investigator testifies

Courtney Lozano, a forensic manager with the Dallas Police Department’s Crime Scene Division, took the witness stand to walk jurors through the physical evidence collected following the shooting.

She testified about the challenges of securing the crime scene because it was on a busy highway and traffic had to be redirected. She also talked about documenting the evidence, which was scattered across the northbound and southbound lanes, including numerous fired cartridge cases, bullet fragments, and areas of possible blood.

Jurors viewed crime scene photos and diagrams, including a photo of the victim's vehicle that had multiple bullet holes on the lower front driver-side door. Lozano also searched Dr. Randall Graham's Audi, which had a bullet hole through the windshield. A bullet fragment was found on the rear floorboard near children's car seats.

The court took a 15-minute break at the end of her testimony.

9:45 a.m. Doctor witness testifies

Jurors heard testimony from Dr. Randall Graham, a local neurosurgeon who found himself caught in the crossfire as Noble was shot on the highway on Nov. 11, 2020.

Dr. Graham testified he was commuting on I-35 when construction traffic stalled. Moments later, he witnessed an unarmed man sprinting past his vehicle, followed immediately by an explosion of shattered glass. A bullet pierced Graham’s driver-side windshield, embedding shrapnel in his neck.

According to Graham, a masked gunman armed with a rifle stopped at his passenger-side headlight, fired multiple rounds past his vehicle, and locked eyes with him before fleeing. Graham called 911, pulled to the side of the highway, and exited his vehicle after bystanders alerted him to the victim collapsed on the highway.

Graham administered CPR and chest compressions for roughly 25 minutes until paramedics arrived. Despite the emergency intervention, Graham noted the victim wasn't breathing normally and had numerous gunshot wounds. The neurosurgeon was later transported by Dallas police to be treated for his own injuries.

9 a.m. Yella Beezy in court

Conway is back in the courtroom wearing a brown suit and brown turtleneck.

FOX 4 will stream the trial live each day once testimony begins around 9 a.m.

Day 1 Recap

The trial began on Monday after Judge Chika Anyiam put an alternate juror on the panel due to another juror’s childcare issues. Yella Beezy, a.k.a Markies Conway, was in the Dallas County courtroom wearing a maroon suit and turtleneck.

Opening statements set contrasting narratives of what happened to MO3, a.k.a. Melvin Noble. Prosecutor Tommy Adams outlined an orchestrated murder-for-hire stemming from a multi-year feud. He said he’d show proof through surveillance, travel logs, and text messages. Defense attorney Toby Shook argued the state suffered from investigative tunnel vision, noting that Conway’s bank withdrawal of crisp, large bills did not match the small-denomination bills found on hitman Kewon White. He urged jurors to consider alternative motives involving co-defendant Devin Brown.

The prosecution’s first witness, Noble’s mother Nicole Noble, emotionally recounted learning her son had been fatally shot on Nov. 11, 2020. Next, two highway witnesses described the ambush; one detailed encountering the masked gunman, while delivery truck dashcam footage and photos of the aftermath were shown. First responder Chris Bloodgood and former Dallas County Medical Examiner Dr. Jeffrey Barnard testified regarding resuscitation efforts and Noble's fatal gunshot wounds, notably one puncturing his heart.

In the afternoon, a video security expert presented footage of cars outside the apartment of Noble’s girlfriend, Jocylynn Jackson. Jackson then took the stand under subpoena, recounting the morning of the murder. She testified that Brown, her ex-partner and the father of her children, made repeated calls to their young son to confirm Noble’s presence at the apartment. Jackson suspected Brown, who denied involvement via text.

Under aggressive cross-examination, Jackson was questioned regarding past domestic disputes with Brown, statements to prosecutors regarding feuds with Yella Beezy and Trapboy Freddy, and a September 2020 social media video of her children with Noble that had angered Brown.

MO3 Murder

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

• Day 1 - Yella Beezy on trial for Dallas rapper MO3's murder
• 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

DallasDallas CountyCrime and Public Safety