ATLANTA — The trial involving rapper Young Thug and the alleged YSL street gang continues on Thursday, with the testimony of a man considered one of possibly five founding members of Young Slime Life (YSL) in court. Prosecutors have accused YSL of being a street gang.
Walter "DK" Murphy is testifying as a part of his plea agreement. On Thursday, the prosecution continued to question Murphy about his involvement in YSL, what they called a street gang. The questions appear to lay down a foundation on who were members and how the music group evolved into the alleged gang.
During his Wednesday testimony, he was questioned over prior gang affiliations, how YSL was founded and how he became affiliated with rapper Young Thug, whose legal name is Jeffrey Williams.
The defense then interrupted Murphy's testimony with discovery for a motion to enter new evidence on Wednesday. Judge Ural Glanville went into an explosive outburst after the evidence was discovered on Wednesday.
However, the judge did not discuss the motion on Thursday and allowed Murphy's testimony to continue as planned.
The judge said that proceedings will continue on Friday at 12:30 p.m. with the remainder of Murphy's testimony
You can watch Thursday's court proceedings in the video player above and on 11Alive's YouTube Channel.
More on the Young Thug, YSL trial
Back on May 9, 2022, the hip-hop world was jolted with the news that rapper Young Thug - a Grammy winner, trendsetter and Atlanta icon - had been arrested.
It's been nearly two years now that the artist, whose legal name is Jeffery Williams, has remained behind bars. The central charge against him is that three letters with which his name has become synonymous because of his artistic success in launching the "Young Stoner Life" label, YSL, actually signalize a violent gang: Young Slime Life.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis named Williams, among other metro Atlanta rappers and those with ties to the alleged gang, to bring charges against a total of 28 people in a sweeping 88-page indictment. The case alleges that not only is Young Thug among the gang's members, but he is also its kingpin.
"He is the one they're all afraid of," a prosecutor said at a June 2022 hearing. "He's the one that's King Slime."
A long pretrial process passed to an even longer jury selection process, and across this time, the co-defendant list dwindled with plea deals and other circumstances, keeping some of the individuals charged from remaining on the case.
The trial finally began in earnest in November 2023, already considered the longest in Georgia's history.
Now that it is in full swing, 11Alive is keeping track of key developments in the case and highlighting moments in the courtroom. Follow along in the timeline below.
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