MO3, whose real name was Melvin Noble, was shot and killed on Interstate 35 in Dallas in November 2020
Credit: Dallas County Jail
NEED TO KNOW
- Kewon White was convicted of capital murder in the 2020 killing of Dallas rapper MO3 on Sept. 4
- Prosecutors alleged that White was hired by rapper Yella Beezy, who had a long-running feud with MO3 since 2017, but did not prove the murder-for-hire
- White is the first to stand trial in the case, with trials for Yella Beezy and another man still forthcoming
Kewon White, whom prosecutors allege was hired by Yella Beezy to kill rapper MO3, will spend life behind bars after he was found guilty of capital murder.
A jury found White, 27, guilty of capital murder in the 2020 killing of MO3, whose real name was Melvin Noble, on Friday, Sept. 4, FOX4 News, ABC affiliate WFAA and The Dallas Morning News reported. He had previously pleaded not guilty.
White was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after two weeks of testimony, according to the outlets.
Per The Dallas Morning News, the life sentence was the only available term since the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office chose not to seek the death penalty in the case.
Credit: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty
Melvin was shot and killed at the age of 28 on Interstate 35 in Dallas in November 2020, according to Dallas officials. He was shot 13 times, according to WFAA and The Dallas Morning News.
Prosecutors alleged that White was hired by rapper Yella Beezy, whose real name is Markies Conway, to murder MO3 for payment. (Conway and Melvin had an alleged long-running feud, which began on social media in 2017, according to The Dallas Morning News.)
White’s defense team said the state may have proved a murder but not a murder-for-hire, as has been alleged by prosecutors, according to WFAA and The Dallas Morning News.
Bree West, a defense attorney for White, could not be reached for comment on Sunday, Sept. 6.
Credit: Prince Williams/WireImage
On Friday, Melvin’s mother, Nichole Noble, addressed White in a victim impact statement. “I love you. Maybe that’s what you needed to hear, and you were looking for love with people that don’t love you,” she told the now-convicted murderer, according to The Dallas Morning News.
White became emotional, bowing his head and crying, when she told him she loved him, according to FOX4 News.
White is the first person to stand trial in connection with the 2020 ambush killing. His conviction comes ahead of the trials of Conway and another man, Devin Brown, who have also been charged with capital murder in Melvin’s killing.
Conway had pleaded not guilty to the charge and denied involvement in the incident, according to FOX4 News.
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Yella Beezy is best known for his 2017 song “That’s On Me,” which later spawned a remix featuring 2 Chainz, T.I., Rich the Kid and others, as well as the 2019 song “Bacc At It Again” with Quavo and Gucci Mane.
MO3 was best known for a 2019 remix of the song “Errybody” with Louisiana rapper Boosie Badazz. Several posthumous songs have been released since his death in 2020.
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