Drama erupted in the courtroom when Yella Beezy’s childhood friend took the stand and refused to testify by invoking his Fifth Amendment right in the rapper’s murder-for-hire trial.
In a Dallas, TX, courtroom on Thursday (Oct. 29), Theodore Thomas, aka Jose Bodega, a close friend of Yella Beezy, took the witness stand and repeatedly invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. Prosecutors said Thomas testified before the grand jury that indicted Beezy, born Markies Conway, for allegedly hiring Kewon White to carry out the killing of Mo3 over a long-running rap feud. White was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison in September.
During his testimony, prosecutors questioned Thomas regarding a 140-page grand jury transcript, where he had allegedly answered questions about an ongoing dispute involving Beezy, Mo3, and others. But on the witness stand, Thomas refused to answer any questions regarding Beezy’s rap crew, the Get Rich Cartel (GRC), an ongoing rap feud between Beezy and rapper Trapboy Freddy, or his California locations with Beezy in November of 2020 around the time of Mo3’s murder. Thomas answered every question with, “I’m going to plead the Fifth to that.”
When the defense asked Thomas whether he would recant any of his past statements, he also pleaded the Fifth. Seeing that Thomas wouldn’t answer any more questions, Judge Chika Anyiam stepped in to excuse Thomas, and warned that he could be recalled later. She instructed him to return to court on Friday (Oct. 30).
Thomas also goes by the rap name Jose Bodega, a moniker inspired by the one-stop corner stores in New York City. Thomas released his debut album, Mr. Bodega, in 2020, followed by his second project, Defamation of Character, in 2022. During his career, he has collaborated on tracks with Beezy and Trapboy Freddy.
Beezy is on trial for allegedly orchestrating the murder of Mo3, born Melvin Noble, in an ambush on Interstate 35 in Dallas in November of 2020. The trial is expected to last about two weeks.
See Yella Beezy’s childhood friend plead the Fifth in the rapper’s murder-for-hire trial below.
Watch Yella Beezy’s Friend Refuse to Testify in the Rapper’s Murder-for-Hire Trial
Watch the Entire Day 3 of Yella Beezy’s Murder-for-Hire Trial
