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DALLAS - A key witness for the state was back in court on Friday 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
10:30 a.m. Federal Reserve employee testifies
Testimony shifted as prosecutors called Joseph Catania, a director with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, to break down how cash moves from federal vaults into circulation.
Catania testified under subpoena regarding two specific $100 bills entered into evidence—one photographed on a plastic bag and another found in a bundle alongside firearms. Using sequential serial number ranges logged from barcode scans, Catania linked the original shipments of the uncirculated bills to two financial institutions: a Bank of America branch in Hialeah, Florida, in 2014, and a bank on Walnut Hill Lane in Dallas in February 2020.
Catania said that while initial distribution points for brand-new $100 bills are recorded, the government does not track bills once spent, nor can it monitor recirculated money or end users.
On cross-examination, the defense highlighted that the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office did not contact the Federal Reserve about the serial numbers until April 2025. The defense also noted that colored rubber bands seen wrapping the bundle of cash in evidence are not standard Federal Reserve packaging.
10 a.m. Jose Bodega returns
Theodore Thomas (a.k.a. Jose Bodega) was in court again on Friday morning with his attorney as ordered by the court.
Thomas is a childhood friend of Conway who allegedly testified before the grand jury about events related to the case. However, when called to testify on Thursday, he invoked his Fifth Amendment right for nearly every question he was asked.
Thomas did not take the stand again on Friday morning. Prosecutors called the situation "very fluid" and said they were still discussing how they were going to proceed or not proceed.
Prosecutors asked Judge Chika Anyiam to swear Thomas’ attorney in as a witness and asked the two of them to return on Wednesday.
9 a.m. Trial resumes
FOX 4 will have live coverage of the trial each day after testimony begins around 9 a.m.
Yesterday's Recap
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Key witnesses testify in Yella Beezy murder-for-hire trial
A key witness invoked the Fifth Amendment on multiple occasions upon taking the stand during the Yella Beezy murder for hire trial in Dallas on Thursday. FOX 4's Steven Dial has more.
In court on Thursday, testimony focused heavily on forensic ballistics, digital extractions, surveillance footage, and witness confrontations.
The morning opened with testimony from DPS firearms examiner Phillip Duong, who revealed that none of the seized firearms matched the 44 spent cartridge cases recovered from the murder scene. Duong confirmed all 44 casings originated from a single, unidentified weapon, allowing the defense to stress that no weapons in court were tied to the killing.
Digital forensics took center stage next. FBI expert Scott Morris talked about the digital evidence, including seized phones, hard drives, and DVR footage from homes on Ramona Avenue and Britton Road. He also noted a 58-minute clock discrepancy on the Ramona Avenue home's surveillance system. Prosecutors presented surveillance images that showed convicted gunman Kewon White handling a firearm, leaving in a black Chevrolet sedan before Noble’s death, and later burning an unidentified object in a backyard. Additional FBI examiners Thomas Tedder and Jackie Northrup described extracting evidence from seized DVRs and cellphones, one requiring six months of brute-force passcode cracking.
Afternoon proceedings grew contentious when prosecutors called Theodore Thomas (a.k.a. Jose Bodega) to the stand. When asked about his prior grand jury testimony regarding the Get Rich Cartel (GRC), an escalating feud involving Conway and Trapboy Freddy, an assault on comedian Roy Lee Pate, and a November 2020 trip to California, Thomas repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment. After he even pleaded the Fifth regarding whether he recanted statements, the judge dismissed him. He was ordered to return at 9 a.m. on Friday with his attorney.
Testimony concluded with bail bond agent Annette Alvarado authenticating records of White making an unusual $300 payment on Nov. 11, 2020, though she acknowledged Conway was not listed on the bond. Finally, Detective Norman Abrams III testified regarding data extracted from three phones connected to the case.
MO3 Murder
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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
- Day 3: Yella Beezy murder trial continues on Day 3 with testimony from informant Jose Bodega
- Day 2: Yella Beezy murder trial testimony on Day 2 focuses on crime scene evidence, surveillance photos
- 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
The Source: The information in this story comes from trial testimony and past news coverage.