Yella Beezy Trial: $9,670 Cash and Cell Data Central to Murder-for-Hire Case
Prosecutors argue Markies Conway funded MO3's killer with front-end payouts, while the defense objects to the timeline of payments.
By James Anderson ·
Nearly $9,670 in cash was found in the backpack of Kewon White hours after a series of meetings linked to the 2020 murder of Dallas rapper MO3. That cash, along with surveillance video and cell site data, forms the core of the financial evidence presented to jurors in the trial of Markies Conway, also known as Yella Beezy.
The trial entered its second week on Friday, Nov. 6, in Dallas. Conway faces a capital murder charge for allegedly orchestrating the killing of Melvin Noble, who was shot 11 times on Interstate 35 in November 2020. Prosecutors allege Conway paid White to carry out the hit following a feud that dates back to 2017. Conway has pleaded not guilty and denied involvement in the plot.
Dallas Police Det. Eric Barnes returned to the stand Friday to detail the roles of the individuals involved. According to Barnes, Conway and associate Devarius Moore, known as Trapboy Freddy, acted as financiers. Jerry Johnson served as a middleman coordinating communications between the group and White. Devin Brown, a third defendant also charged with capital murder, allegedly tracked Noble’s location to an apartment on Ramona Avenue.
Barnes testified that investigators mapped a chain of meetups on the night of Nov. 22, 2020. Cell site data placed Conway with Moore in Irving, followed by a meeting with Johnson in Frisco. Johnson was then tracked to a Dallas residence where he met White. Despite defense objections that the payment timeline was speculative, Judge Chika Anyiam allowed the testimony to proceed. Barnes stated that White did not receive a single lump sum but rather "front-end" payouts that included cash for bond, luxury items, jewelry, and firearms.
Financial records introduced to the court show Conway withdrew $40,000 in cash in late October 2020. Another $40,000 was withdrawn on Nov. 20, 2020, two days before the ambush. iCloud messages admitted into evidence show Conway texting associates to coordinate meetups before both he and White left town. The judge temporarily withheld a November 2020 jailhouse recording regarding a "20 bands" payout pending corroborating evidence.
White was convicted of capital murder in September and sentenced to life in prison. His trial transcript was provided to Conway’s attorneys, a process that delayed this current trial by one month. The defense has raised objections to the state's presentation of the payment timeline, arguing it relies on improper opinion. The trial is expected to last approximately two weeks.
Testimony is scheduled to continue each day at 9 a.m. Prosecutors plan to further examine the digital communications and financial records surrounding the night of the murder. Conway remains in custody while awaiting the jury's verdict.
