Five years after Dallas rapper Melvin Noble (known as Mo3) was gunned down in broad daylight on Interstate 35E, Devin Maurice Brown, one of the men allegedly involved in Noble’s death, is expected to stand trial before a jury in early November, according to recent court filings.
Brown was originally indicted on a murder charge related to the slaying in 2021.
In March, a Dallas County grand jury indicted Brown on a new charge of capital murder while remuneration. The indictment alleges that Dallas rapper Yella Beezy, whose real name is Markies Conway, paid Brown to kill Noble.
Court documents indicate a pretrial hearing has been scheduled for Oct. 9.
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Another man, Kewon Dontrell White, has also been accused of being a paid hitman. Detectives publicly linked him to Noble’s death in 2020. White had been indicted on a murder charge in 2021 and was charged with capital murder in a new indictment in March.
Conway and Noble were allegedly feuding, in part over territorial claims in Oak Cliff, through diss tracks and social media insults traded back and forth for years. Both rappers had denied any conflict.
Conway said he did not know who Noble was in a 2019 interview with blog page VladTV that resurfaced amid his legal troubles.
On Nov. 11, 2020, police said Noble was driving northbound on I-35E in Oak Cliff when another vehicle pulled up near him. Both cars ended up stopped on the freeway.
A man wearing a ski mask got out of his vehicle and approached Noble’s car with a firearm in hand. Noble left his car and ran southbound. The man chased him, firing several rounds and striking Noble.
Homicide detectives named White as the suspected gunman, citing among other evidence cellular data that placed him in the vicinity of Noble before and after the shooting, according to an arrest-warrant affidavit.
White has been in federal prison serving a 105-month sentence for an unrelated gun charge.
Brown’s alleged involvement in Noble’s death remains unclear. Detectives said they found records of “numerous” calls between Brown and White the day before and the day of the shooting.
As of mid-June, Brown was in jail, according to court documents. He was initially denied bond in March before Judge Chika Anyiam of Criminal District Court 7 in Dallas County set it for $500,000 later that month.
Brown’s legal team filed to reduce the amount, describing it as “oppressive” and beyond their client’s financial means in June. Anyiam granted a reduced bond of $300,000 in June.
Brown’s lawyer, Elaine Evans, could not be immediately reached for comment about whether he remains in custody. It is also unclear if Conway and White will be tried alongside him.
Conway, who posted a $750,000 bond in March, is out on house arrest.
If convicted of capital murder, Brown could face life in prison without the possibility of parole, or the death penalty.