JigrockRadio News | October 7, 2026
DALLAS — A pretrial hearing in Dallas rapper Yella Beezy’s capital murder case has put renewed attention on a potential prosecution witness and the terms of his separate federal plea agreement. Jury selection is currently scheduled for October 26, 2026. The rapper has pleaded not guilty; his trial has not yet begun.
According to Baller Alert’s account of courtroom reporting by journalist Bryson “Boom” Paul, defense expert Julianna Moore testified Tuesday about a federal cooperation agreement involving Theodore Thomas, also known as Jose Bodega, a person associated with Yella Beezy’s music circle. The testimony addressed Thomas’s federal drug case, a dismissed gun charge and potential benefits tied to cooperation. Those details may become relevant to how jurors assess the credibility of any testimony he provides. These are reports of testimony at a pretrial hearing, not a finding that any witness has lied or that the defendant is guilty.
The trial had been set to begin in September. KERA reported that Judge Chika Anyiam granted a postponement after attorneys on both sides sought additional preparation time, including access to the transcript of Kewon White’s trial and coordination of witnesses. Subsequent reporting placed jury selection on October 26. That is a scheduled date, not a guarantee that proceedings will begin without further changes.
Yella Beezy, whose legal name is Markies Conway, is charged in connection with the November 2020 killing of Dallas rapper MO3, whose legal name was Melvin Noble. Prosecutors allege Conway paid Kewon White to carry out the killing. Conway has denied involvement and pleaded not guilty. White was convicted of capital murder in September 2026 and sentenced to life in prison without parole; his conviction does not establish Conway’s guilt.
Pretrial proceedings have also examined whether rap lyrics and music-related material can be used as evidence. FOX 4 reported in July that prosecutors and the defense presented competing interpretations of lyrics and the artists’ public personas. The court must determine what evidence is admissible, and a jury would evaluate the evidence presented at trial.
The next reported milestone is jury selection on October 26. Questions about cooperating witnesses, evidence and the defense’s challenges may be addressed as the case proceeds. JigrockRadio will distinguish allegations, testimony and court findings as updates become available.
Presumption of innocence: Conway is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court. The accompanying image is an editorial illustration, not a photograph or documentary depiction of courtroom events.