Dallas rapper Yella Beezy’s capital murder trial begins with jury selection
Jury selection today in Yella Beezy capital murder trial
Yella Beezy's trial is finally set to begin after a month-long delay.
DALLAS - Dallas rapper Yella Beezy’s capital murder trial has begun. He’s accused of orchestrating the murder of rival rapper MO3 in 2020.
But finding an impartial jury could be a challenge.
Yella Beezy Trial
Yella Beezy (a.k.a. Markies Conway)
What we know:
The trial began with jury selection on Monday morning after a month-long delay.
Yella Beezy, whose real name is Markies Conway, has pleaded not guilty to capital murder and denies hiring Kewon White to kill MO3, whose real name is Melvin Noble.
In September, jurors found White guilty of capital murder for Noble’s death. He was sentenced to life in prison.
Prosecutors showed them evidence that White fatally shot Noble in an ambush attack on Interstate 35 in Dallas. They also presented evidence that Conway paid White for the hit.
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.
With the start of Conway’s trial, Judge Chika Anyiam instructed the pool of 75 potential jurors to speak up if they'd seen anything on the news or social media that might make them biased against either side.
"Is there anyone because of the publicity that has formed an opinion? We need to know," she said. A few people raised their hands.
What they're saying:
FOX 4’s Steven Dial talked to attorney Rogge Dunn about the challenges of selecting a jury in Conway’s trial after White’s conviction.
"I think it will be much longer because the first trial against Mr. White was a long trial. That had a lot of notoriety and a lot of interest, especially right here in North Texas. A lot of people are going to know about it. Whether you’re a prosecutor, whether you are the defendant, you want to go in with a level playing field with a jury coming in with a blank slate, not coming in with ideas, convictions, or agendas," he said.
Jury selection starts Monday in rapper murder trial | Dallas News Live
Steven Dial speak with attorney Rogge Dunn about the upcoming jury selection for Yella Beezy.
What's next:
The jury selection process is expected to take a few days.
FOX 4 will stream the trial live once a jury is seated and the testimony begins.
Attorneys on both sides are expected to call some of the same witnesses who testified during White’s trial in September.
Earlier this year, Judge Anyiam ruled most rap lyrics by Conway cannot be used against him, but a handful of songs were approved.
If convicted of capital murder, Conway faces life in prison.
A third defendant, Devin Brown, will also face trial for capital murder once Conway’s trial is concluded.
The Source: The information in this story comes from Monday's jury selection process, updates from the attorneys, and past FOX 4 News coverage.