MEMPHIS — Rapper Young Dolph, also known as Adolph Thornton Jr., suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the head, neck and torso when he was killed at a bakery in his hometown in November, according to the autopsy report.
A police investigation and autopsy results confirm the cause of death is homicide, according to the report, which was supplemented by the West Tennessee Regional Coroner’s Center and the Office of the Medical Examiner. The USA TODAY Network obtained the report Tuesday through a public records request.
Young Dolph, 36, was shot and killed on November 17 while shopping for baked goods at Makeda’s Homemade Butter Cookies.
The autopsy revealed nearly two dozen injuries to the hip-hop star’s back, chin, neck and both arms.
“A man after God’s own heart”: Young Dolph will be remembered for his generosity in celebrating life
Authorities charged two men with first-degree murder in her death and publicly named three other interested parties in the case. Police have released little information about the events of the shooting or leading up to the shooting.
In photos released by the Memphis Police Department, two shooting suspects hold a gun.
The two suspects pulled up in front of the bakery, jumped out of a car and fired shots inside the store, hitting Dolph multiple times, authorities said.
Young Dolph dies: The 36-year-old rapper was shot to death in a Memphis bakery, authorities say
Investigators appear to have examined 22 wounds on Dolph’s body. Six were marked as entry wounds, all backwards. Three exit orifices were identified in the thorax and abdomen on the left side.
The report notes that “mixing” wound traces “prevents accurate attribution of” incoming and outgoing gunshot wounds. “However, injury assessment shows that the most common trajectory of gunshot wounds is forward.”
Other injuries to the head, neck, and arms are not specifically identified as entry or exit injuries.
Prior to the fatal shooting, Dolph experienced two shootings in 2017.
Dolph is survived by his partner, Mia Jerdine, and two young children, Aria and Adolph Thornton III, known as Tre.
During a public celebration of the rapper’s life in December, Tre told a crowd at the FedEx Forum: “My father is the person who raised me and raised me to be a good man when I grow up. … Now that he’s dead , I’ll reconcile with everyone and be the best person you’ve ever met.
The owners of Makeda Homemade Butter Cookies have decided to close the bakery that fans have turned into a memorial.
It is unclear if a more permanent memorial is planned.
With: Micaela Watts
To honor Tre Thorton Jr. and his contribution, several communities have committed to creating a memorial in a public place in his hometown of Memphis, Tennessee.
The memorial is expected to be a vibrant place of expression and celebration of his life. Community leaders are working on the project that will create a living memory of Tre Thorton Jr. and his contribution to the arts and culture of Memphis.
Until then, we are honored to share his memory with the world. Dutchbullion.de will continue to report on the progress of the project and we are delighted that so many people are contributing to the preservation of their music.
