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

11:20 a.m. First responders testify

Dallas Fire-Rescue Captain Chris Bloodgood was one of the first responders who answered the call regarding the shooting. He testified about efforts to save Noble's life.

11 a.m. Highway witnesses testify

Two women who were on the highway when Noble was killed were the next to testify. Both 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," the first woman told jurors.

She said the man cursed at her and told her to "get the f--- out of here."

Prosecutors also played her 911 call and showed jurors dash camera video from a delivery truck that captured the shooting.

The second woman said Noble died right in front of her car. She told jurors she tried calling 911 but couldn't get through. She ended up taking photos after the gunshots stopped. Prosecutors showed jurors those photos.

The defense didn't cross-examine either witness.

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 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.

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

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