Adolph ThorntonJr., known as rapper Young Dolph, suffered multiplegunshot wounds to his head, neck and torso when he was killed at a Memphis bakery in November, according to details in anautopsy report.
Investigation and autopsy findings support the cause of death as a homicide, according to the report, completed by the West Tennessee Regional Forensic Center and the medical examiner's office. The Commercial Appeal obtained the report Tuesday through a public records request.
"...With consideration of the investigation and the autopsy findings, the cause of death is Gunshot Wounds of the Head, Neck, and Torso and the manner of death is homicide," the report concluded.
Young Dolph, 36, was fatally shot while insideMakeda's Homemade Butter Cookies on Airways Boulevard around noon on Nov. 17.
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The autopsy reported nearly two dozen wounds to the rapper's back, chin, neck and both arms.
Authorities have charged two men with first-degree murder in the death of the rapper and publicly named three other persons of interest in the case.Little information about the events of the shooting or leading up to the shooting have been shared by law enforcement.
In photos circulated by the Memphis Police Department,two suspects in the shootingare each holding a gun.
Both suspects pulled up to the bakery, jumped out of a car, and fired into the store, striking Dolph several times, authorities have said.
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Prior to the fatal shooting in Memphis last November, Dolphlived throughtwo shootings in 2017.
Dolph is survived by hislife partner, Mia Jerdine, and two youngchildren,Aria andAdolph Thornton III, known as Tre.
At a public celebration of the rapper's life in December, Tre told a crowd at FedEx Forum: “My dad was the person who raised me and he trained me to be a good man when I grow up. First when I was younger I used to love playing … But now that he is dead I’m going to make it up to the whole world and be the greatest person you will ever know.”
Autopsy describes entering gunshot wounds to the back
The autopsy report identifies and classifies wounds by location, size and type. In addition to entrance and exit gunshot wounds, wounds can also be classified as graze or tangential wounds, as well as "gunshot related wounds."
Examiners appear to have reviewed 22 wounds toDolph's body. Six of them are labeled as entrance wounds, all to the back. Three exit wounds were identified in the chest and abdomen on the left side, the report shows.
In a description of the torso injuries, the examiner reported that some of the posterior wounds have "atypical" appearances for entrance wounds. All of the anterior wounds are "more consistent" with exiting gunshot wounds, per the report.
Examiners reported that "comingling" tracks of the wounds "(prevents) accurate assignment of" entering and exiting gunshot wounds. "However, the assessment of the wounds indicates that the most common trajectory of the bullet wound paths is forward," the report notes, when describing wounds to the torso.
Other wounds, including wounds to the head, neck and arms, are not explicitly described as entrance or exit wounds, per the report.
One wound is a "tangential" wound, and one a "gunshot related wound." The remaining eleven wounds appear to be "gunshot wounds," per the report.It is not clear from the report what "gunshot wounds" indicate about whether the wound is an entry or exit wound.
Officials at the forensic center were not immediately available to specify the code descriptions.
Frequented local bakery, scene of shooting and now of memorial, to close
Young Dolph suffered the fatal gunshot wounds during a trip back home to Memphis, visiting the longstandingMakeda's Homemade Butter Cookies in his home neighborhood of Castalia.
The owners of the nearly 23-year-oldshop have since decided to close up the shop on Airways, which has remained a memorial since the shooting. Store owners will instead operate a story in Downtown.
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The memorial will be dismantled soon.
It is unclear if something more permanent is planned in memorial of the Memphis rapper.
Commercial Appeal reporter Micaela Watts contributed.
Laura Testino covers education and children's issues for the Commercial Appeal. Reach her at laura.testino@commercialappeal.com or 901-512-3763. Find her on Twitter: @LDTestino
