An emotional moment unfolded in the courtroom during the trial of Kewon White, the man accused of killing Dallas rapper Melvin “MO3” Noble, when cooperating witness Cedric Bradley spoke about the difficult position he says he now finds himself in testifying against his own cousin.
Bradley, who has taken the witness stand for the prosecution, reportedly expressed remorse over having to testify against White, saying he feels bad about what he describes as “snitching” on a family member.
White is on trial for capital murder in connection with the November 2020 killing of MO3, who was chased and shot on Interstate 35 in Dallas.
Prosecutors allege that rival rapper Markies “Yella Beezy” Conway hired White to carry out the killing. Conway has pleaded not guilty and denied involvement.
During his testimony, Bradley reportedly acknowledged the personal consequences of cooperating with authorities, saying White is likely to spend a significant amount of time behind bars.
The testimony appeared particularly emotional because of Bradley's relationship with White. Reports identify Bradley as a childhood friend of White who considered him like a younger brother, while other accounts describe the two as cousins.
Bradley also reportedly told the court that he believed he and others had been “misled” about aspects of the situation.
His testimony is part of the prosecution's effort to establish what happened before and after MO3 was ambushed on the interstate.
According to prosecutors, White was the alleged gunman who stopped MO3 in traffic before shooting him. A third defendant, Devin Brown, is accused of being involved in the attack and was allegedly captured on surveillance video approaching MO3 while wearing a ski mask.
The prosecution's case has included testimony from witnesses, law-enforcement investigators and forensic experts. Evidence presented in court has included cellphone data, surveillance footage, ballistics evidence and recorded jail calls.
But Bradley's testimony also gives the defense an opportunity to challenge the reliability and motivations of cooperating witnesses.
Testifying against a relative can carry enormous personal consequences, and Bradley's admission that he feels conflicted about cooperating could become significant as jurors evaluate his credibility.
White has pleaded not guilty to the capital-murder charge. He is already serving a sentence for an unrelated gun offense, according to prosecutors.
The trial is the first of several connected proceedings stemming from MO3's death. Prosecutors allege that Conway, known professionally as Yella Beezy, arranged the killing as part of a long-running feud with MO3. Conway and Brown are expected to face their own trials after White's case.