Rapper Yella Beezy collapsed in a courthouse hallway after a Dallas jury sentenced him to life in prison on Wednesday, Nov. 11, for his role in the 2020 murder of fellow artist Mo3.
The jury returned a guilty verdict following just a few hours of deliberation, according to a report from XXL Mag. Under Texas law, the conviction carries an automatic sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Several people in the courtroom cried when the judge read the verdict. Once bailiffs took Beezy back into custody and removed him from the room, he fell out in the back hall, XXL Mag reported.
Before leaving the courtroom, Beezy made a final request to Judge Chikya Anyiam. “Judge, may I kiss my son?” he asked.
Judge Anyiam left the decision to the bailiff, replying, “If they’ll let you.” The 4-year-old child had already left the courtroom in tears.
Prosecutors established that Beezy, whose legal name is Markies Conway, orchestrated the murder of Mo3. Investigators said that Beezy paid Kewon White to carry out the fatal shooting.
Mo3 was ambushed and shot 11 times in broad daylight on Interstate 35 in Dallas. The sentencing occurred exactly six years to the day after the 2020 killing.
White was convicted and sentenced to life in prison in September for his role in the homicide. A third defendant, Devin Brown, is scheduled to stand trial later this month.
Defense attorney Toby Shook addressed reporters outside the courtroom following the hearing to outline the legal team’s next steps.
“We really can’t express the disappointment at the verdict. We’re going to keep fighting. We have excellent appellate points, and that’ll be the next step in the fight,” Shook told XXL Mag.
The case is now set to proceed to an automatic appeal.
