Published courtroom reporting indicates a Dallas judge heard final arguments July 21 over whether jurors may see rap lyrics, evidence involving prior shootings and social-media material in the capital-murder case against Markies DeAndre Conway, identified in reporting as rapper Yella Beezy. No ruling was reported.
Dallas County’s online jail record lists Conway’s charge as indictment-capital murder while remuneration. Published reporting says the charge concerns the 2020 death of rapper MO3, whose legal name was Melvin Abdul Noble Jr.
What prosecutors want jurors to hear
The disputed material spans three categories: rap lyrics, evidence involving prior shootings and social-media content. The July 21 arguments concerned whether that material may be presented to jurors.
A detective reportedly testified that lyrics from three songs supported the prosecution’s murder-for-hire theory. The detective also testified that the alleged shooter appeared onstage with Conway shortly before Noble’s death.
Those details outline the prosecution’s theory, but the admissibility question remained unresolved in the available reporting.
What comes next
Another pretrial hearing was reported for July 24. The trial was reported as scheduled for Aug. 24.
Related: A separate North Texas murder charge remained unresolved after a Fort Worth jury convicted Koby Burkhart of evidence tampering.
