Dallas rapper Yella Beezy has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after a jury found him guilty of arranging the 2020 killing of fellow rapper MO3 in a murder-for-hire plot, prosecutors said Wednesday.
Yella Beezy, whose real name is Markies Conway, 35, was convicted of capital murder by a Dallas County jury following a trial that examined a yearslong rivalry between the 2 artists. Prosecutors alleged Conway paid or promised to pay $40,000 to have MO3 killed.
MO3, whose real name was Melvin Noble, was shot dead on Nov. 11, 2020, during a daytime attack on Interstate 35 in Dallas. He was 28.
According to evidence presented during the trial, the gunman, identified as Kewon White, approached Noble’s vehicle on the highway before getting out and chasing him with an AK-47-style firearm. Prosecutors said White fired more than 40 rounds as Noble attempted to escape on foot.
Noble was struck multiple times and later died at a hospital. A bystander inside another vehicle was also shot but survived.
Investigators linked the killing to a feud between Conway and Noble that reportedly began following a social media exchange in 2017 and escalated through a series of confrontations involving the rappers and their associates.
Prosecutors presented messages, witness testimony and portions of Conway’s music as evidence during the trial. They also pointed to a previous incident in 2018, when Conway was shot 3 times while driving on a tollway in Lewisville, Texas, arguing that the rivalry had turned increasingly violent.
Conway’s defense attorneys disputed the prosecution’s case, arguing that the evidence did not establish his involvement in the killing and asking jurors not to rely on speculation. His attorney has said he plans to appeal the conviction.
White, who prosecutors identified as the gunman, was separately convicted of capital murder in September and also sentenced to life without parole.
Another man, Devin Brown, is accused of helping track down Noble ahead of the shooting and is scheduled to stand trial in December. Prosecutors have also alleged that Dallas rapper Trapboy Freddy, whose legal name is Devarius Moore, helped finance the killing, but he has not been charged with murder in the case.
Conway is best known for his 2017 hit “That’s On Me” and his collaborations with other artists, including Quavo and Gucci Mane.