A Dallas County jury convicted Markies Conway, the Dallas rapper performing as Yella Beezy, of capital murder on Wednesday for ordering the contract hit that killed fellow rapper Melvin Noble.
Conway will spend the rest of his natural life behind bars. The court sentenced him immediately to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
Jurors also convicted Conway's associate, Kewon White, on identical capital murder charges, handing him an identical sentence of life without parole. White served as the trigger man. The convictions bring a decisive close to a multi-year courtroom battle stemming from the November 2020 highway execution that shook the Texas rap community.
Prosecutors systematically reconstructed the daytime pursuit on Interstate 35 in South Dallas.
White stalked Noble, known widely by his stage name MO3, before pulling directly alongside his car near the Dallas Zoo. Noble attempted to flee. White tracked him down on foot across active highway lanes, unleashing a volley of more than 40 rounds into the rapper.
Noble collapsed with fatal gunshot trauma.
The state built its capital case on proving Conway bankrolled the assassination plot, directing White to carry out the hit. Following days of testimony and deliberations, the panel of jurors rejected the defense, returning guilty verdicts on all counts for both men.
We don't know what turned it for the jurors. We appreciate the verdict. We think they got it right today. It's been one of the most challenging cases over the last six years.
Tommy Adams, Lead Prosecutor
| Case Parameter | Official Status |
|---|---|
| Accused Orchestrator | Markies Conway ("Yella Beezy") |
| Convicted Shooter | Kewon White |
| Victim | Melvin Noble ("MO3") |
| Primary Charge | Capital Murder |
| Trial Venue | Dallas County District Court |
| Final Sentence | Life Imprisonment Without Parole |
Both Conway and White were remanded into state custody immediately following the verdict to begin serving their life terms across Texas Department of Criminal Justice correctional facilities.