DALLAS – Testimony gets underway on Tuesday in the trial for Yella Beezy, who is accused of orchestrating the murder of rival Dallas rapper MO3.
Yella Beezy, whose real name is Markies Conway, allegedly paid another man to gun down MO3, whose real name is Melvin Noble, in an ambush on Interstate 35 in Dallas in 2020.
On Monday, a panel of 12 jurors were selected to hear the case.
If convicted of capital murder, Conway faces up to life in prison.
His trial is expected to last two to three weeks.
Live Updates 10 a.m. MO3’s mom called as first witness 
Noble’s mother, Nicole Noble, was the first witness called to the stand. She was also the first person to testify during convicted hitman Kewon White’s trial.
9:45 a.m. Opening statements 
Prosecutor Tommy Adams went first, talking about Noble’s Nov, 11, 2020 highway shooting death. He described it as an orchestrated murder-for-hire that stemmed from an escalating multi-year feud with the defendant. Adams told jurors that evidence from federal and state law enforcement—including surveillance footage, travel logs, and text messages—will be presented piece by piece. He asked them to assemble these puzzle pieces to return a guilty verdict of capital murder.
Yella Beezy’s defense gives opening statements | FULL
Defense attorney Toby Shook gives opening statements in Yella Beezy’s capital murder trial for the death of fellow Dallas rapper MO3. Yella Beezy, whose real name is Markies Conway, is accused of paying another man to ambush MO3, whose real name is Melvin Noble. That other man was found guilty last month.
Meanwhile, defense attorney Toby Shook urged the jury to hold the state to its high burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt, arguing that the prosecution’s murder-for-hire case against Conway relies on gaps, assumptions, and investigative “tunnel vision.” He challenged the state’s financial link by showing that Conway’s bank withdrawal consisted of crisp large bills, whereas the money recovered from White was mixed, small-denomination street money consistent with drug transactions. The defense also pointed to overlooked alternative suspects and motives, including co-defendant Devin Brown’s personal animosity toward Noble. Shook argued that law enforcement ignored these possibilities to force the evidence into a predetermined theory.
9:30 a.m. Alternate juror seated
Judge Chika Anyiam dismissed one of the jurors on the panel because of a child care issue. An alternate juror took his place.
9 a.m. Yella Beezy in Court 
Conway entered the Dallas County courtroom for the first day of testimony in his capital murder trial. He was wearing a maroon turtle neck.
MO3 Murder 
VIDEO: Rapper Mo3 chased down by hitman on I-35
Prosecutors released video of rapper Mo3 being shot at and chased down by a hitman on I-35 in Dallas. The video was shown during a bond hearing for fellow rapper Yella Beezy who allegedly hired the hitman Kewon Dontrell White.
The backstory:
MO3 was shot 11 times and killed on I-35 back in 2020. Prosecutors allege the shooting was part of a murder-for-hire plot organized by rapper Yella Beezy, whose legal name is Markies Conway. They claim he paid Kewon White to carry out the murder over a long-running feud.
In September, jurors found White guilty of capital murder and sentenced him to life in prison after viewing video and hearing testimony about the shooting. Prosecutors also presented evidence of an alleged payment from Conway to White.
Conway has pleaded not guilty to capital murder and denied involvement. His trial was delayed by a month so that his lawyers could get a copy of White’s trial transcript.
A third defendant, Devin Brown, is also charged with capital murder.
Continued Coverage
The Source: The information in this story comes from trial testimony and past news coverage.