Key witness, lead detective take the stand in Yella Beezy's murder-for-hire trial

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DALLAS - The trial for Yella Beezy, who is accused of orchestrating a murder for hire plot that killed Dallas rapper MO3, is now in its second week.

Yella Beezy, whose real name is Markies Conway, is accused of paying another man to gun down MO3, whose real name is Melvin Noble, in an ambush on Interstate 35 in Dallas in 2020.

Prosecutors allege Conway hired Kewon White to carry out the murder over a long-running feud.

Conway has pleaded not guilty to capital murder and denied involvement.

White has already been convicted of capital murder for Noble’s death.

A third defendant, Devin Brown, is also charged with capital murder.

Conway's trial is expected to last about two weeks.

Live Updates

4 p.m. Det. Eric Barnes testifies

Dallas Police Department Homicide Detective and ATF Task Force Officer Eric Barnes took the stand. He was the lead detective on the case.

Barnes formally identified defendant Conway, seated in the courtroom in black attire.

The detective testified about the complexities of investigating gang conflicts and rap feuds, describing them as fast-paced disputes often hindered by reluctant witnesses. He said he was brought in due to years of working investigations involving an ongoing feud between the victim and the defendant. Upon hearing Noble was ambushed on I-35 on Nov. 11, 2020, the detective said he rushed to the hospital to confirm Noble’s identity and instructed staff to withhold public confirmation of his death to give law enforcement time to mitigate potential retaliatory bloodshed.

At the hospital, Barnes questioned Noble’s entourage, including his bodyguard Sean Griffin. He said he had to clear him as a suspect because he drove a dark Camaro, which matched the description of the shooter's vehicle. By that evening, he got a tip that led him to interview Jocylynn Jackson and her mother. Jackson was Noble's girlfriend at the time and the mother of Brown's children. Barnes said the left the interview with Brown (a.k.a. Chicago) as a primary suspect.

The state introduced phone logs and cell tower data later analyzed by the FBI before the court recessed for the day. Testimony should resume on Thursday at 9 a.m.

2:45 p.m. Financial investigator testifies

Testimony turned to Conway's financial records on Wednesday afternoon. Deanna Davenport, a certified fraud examiner and forensic financial analyst with the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office, walked jurors through Conway’s 2020 banking activity across four JPMorgan Chase accounts. Davenport testified that Conway took in over $1.44 million that year — largely from entertainment-related wires — while spending roughly $863,000, including more than $290,000 in branch cash withdrawals.

Prosecutors zeroed in on two unusual spikes: back-to-back $40,000 in-person cash withdrawals made at a Frisco branch in late 2020. Davenport noted that while an Oct. 23 withdrawal was partially offset days later by a $30,000 cash deposit, a second $40,000 withdrawal on Nov. 20, 2020 — just nine days after MO3 was gunned down on Interstate 35 — saw no corresponding deposit returned.

Davenport clarified under questioning that her analysis tracks the flow of funds and cannot determine what the withdrawn cash was ultimately spent on.

On cross-examination, the defense pushed back against claims of suspicious activity, arguing that Conway routinely handled significant sums as a successful music artist. Davenport confirmed she did not know whether the money was being used for things like family expenses. On redirect, prosecutors countered that Davenport could not rule out whether the cash was used to pay for a murder, emphasizing that the November withdrawals lacked the typical preceding revenue seen in prior months.

1:30 p.m. Cedric Bradley returns to the stand

After lunch, the state continued questioning Bradley to clarify his cooperation timeline and dismantle suggestions that his testimony was fabricated for leniency. Prosecutors entered Bradley’s federal plea agreement into evidence, highlighting that it was officially filed on June 25, 2026—weeks before he met with state prosecutors on July 10, 2026.

Prosecutors also showed Bradley an autopsy photograph of MO3, confirming he had never seen the medical examiner’s evidence and that his knowledge of where the victim was shot came directly from White. When questioned about a pending motion to revoke probation in Kaufman County that carries potential life exposure, Bradley insisted that neither state nor federal authorities asked him to lie, affirming under oath that his testimony was truthful.

12 p.m. Defense questions the credibility of Cedric Bradley

Defense attorneys spent their cross-examination painting Bradley as an unreliable witness.

They highlighted Bradley's extensive criminal history. Bradley originally faced a 17-count federal indictment involving drugs and 36 firearms, including three machine guns.

Bradley pleaded guilty to two counts of the indictment and is currently facing up to 30 years in federal prison. However, the defense pointed out that prosecutors dismissed a specific gun charge that carried a mandatory five-year sentence as part of his plea agreement.

The defense zeroed in on a September 2024 proffer meeting Bradley had with Dallas Police Detective Eric Barnes. Barnes worked as both the homicide detective on the Noble murder case and as an ATF task force officer investigating Bradley's drug ring.

A proffer is a meeting where a suspect offers information to prosecutors, typically hoping for a lighter sentence.

Defense attorneys showed documents that showed Bradley explicitly stated he had no knowledge of Noble's murder and had not spoken to anyone about it.

The defense argued that Bradley only changed his story and offered information about the murder years later, well after he faced severe federal drug charges.

11 a.m. Cedric Bradley describes "rap beef" and private jet trips

Bradley testified that tensions existed between Noble, Conway, and another local artist known as Trapboy Freddy. Bradley said the beef revolved around money and drugs.

Prosecutors also showed the jury photos from October 2020. The photos showed Bradley, Conway, and other associates riding on a private jet to Miami to celebrate Conway’s birthday, just weeks before Noble was killed.

During cross-examination, defense attorneys worked to distance Conway from Bradley. Defense attorneys focused heavily on Bradley’s motives for cooperating with the state. They pointed out his custody status and his strong desire to return home to his young daughter.

"Your freedom here with the government is a big deal," the defense attorney said to Bradley in court.

10 a.m. Childhood friend says White confessed to killing Mo3

Cedric Bradley, a childhood friend and now a federal inmate, took the stand to testify against White and Conway.

Bradley testified that White confessed to killing Noble. According to Bradley, White gave a detailed account of the murder, saying he fired shots from his car, chased Noble on foot, shot him in the back, and got away.

White allegedly told Bradley he was angry about not receiving the money he was promised for the hit.

Bradley is currently in federal custody facing up to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to drug conspiracy and possession of machine guns.

9 a.m. Trial resumes

FOX 4 will have live coverage of the trial each day after testimony begins around 9 a.m.

Tuesday's Recap

Yella Beezy trial day 6 | Dallas News Live

Steven Dial speaks to criminal defense attorney David Finn about the ongoing murder trial against Yella Beezy.

Dallas Police Officer Nicholas Brooks testified about providing off-duty security for rapper Yella Beezy, whose real name is Conway. Brooks stated he texted Conway immediately after a freeway shooting to check if he was involved, citing an ongoing internet feud. During cross-examination, defense attorneys highlighted that Brooks and Conway were actually close friends, with Brooks even inviting Conway to his wedding.

The court also heard testimony regarding a separate 2018 drive-by shooting that left Conway severely injured with multiple gunshot wounds. Lewisville Police Officer Sean Doherty testified that this 2018 case remains unsolved because Conway flatly refused to press charges. Conway explicitly told detectives that cooperating with the police would negatively impact his rap persona and public image.

FBI Special Agent Taylor Page later presented extensive cellphone tower data tracking the movements of Conway and his co-defendants. The digital footprint placed co-defendant White directly at the scene of the fatal highway shooting before he ran. Cell records also showed a massive spike in phone calls between White and another co-defendant, Brown, immediately after the attack.

Following the murder, location and financial records showed Conway withdrawing $40,000 in cash from a bank in Frisco. Phone tracking suggested that co-defendant Jerry Johnson acted as a middleman, as his device moved between Conway's area and the other suspects.

Agent Page also confirmed there was no direct cellphone communication between Conway and accused co-defendants White or Brown.

MO3 Murder

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.

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.