MO3 Murder Trial: Shooter Guilty, Gets Life Sentence & Now Yella Beezy’s Freedom Hangs In The Balance

Kewon White was found guilty of capital murder in the shooting death of Dallas rapper MO3 on Interstate 35 in November 2020.

A Dallas County jury deliberated for just three hours before returning the guilty verdict, which carries an automatic sentence of life in prison without parole.

Prosecutors painted White as the triggerman in what they described as a murder-for-hire plot orchestrated by fellow rapper Yella Beezy.

The state’s closing argument emphasized the evidence connecting White to the fatal shooting, arguing that the facts proved beyond a reasonable doubt that he pulled the trigger that day.

White’s defense team countered by challenging the prosecution’s case, arguing that the state failed to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt.

Defense attorney Bree West told jurors that the evidence presented did not conclusively establish White’s guilt, raising questions about the prosecution’s narrative.

The defense opened with a powerful comparison to Johnny Cash’s controversial 1950s hit “I Shot a Man in Reno Just to Watch Him Die,” which was banned from some radio stations for its violent lyrics.

The attorney argued that lyrics are artistic creations, not confessions or evidence of actual crimes.

“Lyrics are just artistic creation by the artist. It’s nothing more,” West stated, emphasizing that in today’s entertainment landscape, controversy drives ratings, advertising, and sales.

The defense contended that the prosecution was asking jurors to conflate artistic expression with criminal intent, a dangerous precedent that could lead to wrongful convictions.

The trial marks the first time any defendant has faced a jury in the MO3 murder case.

White is currently serving a nine-year federal prison sentence after a 2022 conviction for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, a charge unrelated to the murder case.

Earlier in the trial, prosecutors presented video evidence showing White and Yella Beezy together on stage, attempting to establish a connection between the two men.

Yella Beezy faces a trial starting September 11 and has pleaded not guilty.