Nothing moves faster than social media users with a plan and immediately after a suspect in Young Dolph’s murder was named, the internet swiftly got to work. It was back in November when Dolph was murdered outside of a bakery in his hometown of Memphis, and since that time, there has been an outcry for police to track down his killers. Earlier today (January 5), the Memphis Police Department stated that they have issued an arrest warrant for 23-year-old Justin Johnson, even adding that there was a $15,000 reward for information leading to his capture.
Soon, images of Johnson began to surface after the press release went viral and people claimed they found his Instagram page. It has not been confirmed whether or not this is indeed Johnson, but many are stating it is indeed the suspect.
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Additionally, another image has also been making the rounds, showing Dolph holding a stack of cash and enjoying himself with people surrounding him. Internet sleuths claim that suspect Justin Johnson is in the picture, standing directly behind Dolph. Another image reportedly shows Johnson allegedly wearing a “PRE”—or Paper Route Empire—chain similar to Dolph’s.
After the news was released identifying Johnson, Rolling Stone spoke with Dolph’s aunt, Rita Myers, who said that although they have a name, it doesn’t help bring any closure.
“There’s not any closure for us with this news, because [Johnson] is not in custody, and we still don’t have all the facts,” Myers said. “We still feel the same. This news just made me feel worse. I thought it would make me feel better, but it didn’t. All I know is, anyone who could walk up and take the life of another person for no reason is someone with hate in their heart, a person who has no regard for life, a person who cares about nothing.”
“Our family has suffered a tremendous loss, because he was the glue that held our family together,” Myers said of her nephew. “I’m still crying, day and night. We were very close. And it’s not just me, it’s the whole family. I couldn’t even say ‘Merry Christmas,’ or celebrate my birthday, or say ‘Happy New Year’ to anyone, because I don’t feel that. It’s like we lost a part of ourselves, and I can’t see an end to the suffering and hurt.”
Johnson is wanted for first-degree murder. Authorities claim he is evading capture and should be considered armed and dangerous.
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