On Jan. 13, 2024, Anthony “Big Jook” Mims was killed in an assassination-style slaying outside an East Memphis restaurant.
A year later, no suspects have been identified in the shooting death and police have not released much information about the case.
In response to a query last week from The Commercial Appeal, a public information officer with Memphis Police Department said that homicide investigators “advised that no updates are available at this time.”
Still, there have been considerable developments in the story since 2024. Here is a look at where things stand.
Who was Big Jook?
Anthony “Big Jook” Mims, 47, was the older brother of noted Memphis rapper and record label mogul Yo Gotti, aka Mario Mims.
Anthony Mims was actively involved in Gotti’s record company, the Collective Music Group, or CMG label. It’s not known what Anthony Mims’ official title with the label was, or if he had one. But his social media accounts offered a colorful glimpse of his life and career in the music business. The various posts on Instagram showed Mims at music industry events, video shoots and concerts with his brother Yo Gotti and other CMG label acts.
Mims’ final Instagram post came just a day before his death. A photo of Mims is accompanied by what, in hindsight, is an ominous sounding caption: “They don’t want to face you they wanna snake you. Stay alert 2 stay alive watch your back at all times.”
Following Big Jook’s death, The Commercial Appeal made multiple attempts to reach representatives of the CMG label — which is partnered with major label Interscope — but they did not respond to requests for comment.
Yo Gotti has not publicly commented on his brother’s death.
When and where was Big Jook killed in Memphis?
Memphis Police Department released this image of a vehicle they believe to be connected with a fatal shooting Jan. 13, 2024, on Winchester Road. The shooting left Anthony Mims dead and another male victim injured.
According to the Memphis Police Department, an officer was in the area of 6385 Winchester Road around 4:15 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024, when he heard gunshots. The officer went to the location and found two victims with multiple gunshot wounds, both of whom were transported to the hospital. Anthony Mims was identified as the victim who was pronounced deceased at the hospital. A second male victim was in stable condition.
The scene of the shooting was outside Perignon’s Restaurant and Event Center, where Mims was attending a repass, following the funeral of a relative, Eric Bovan. Bovan — a well-known Memphis cocaine kingpin in the 1980s and head of the Bovan Family — was a former partner of the aunt of Yo Gotti and Big Jook.
Immediately after the shooting, Memphis Police said they were analyzing video from the area but did not have a suspect identified at that time. A day later police confirmed that a witness on the scene said suspects in a white SUV were responsible for the shooting. The vehicle was a white Ford Explorer with black wheels and dark tinted windows, and images of it were captured on surveillance video, released by MPD.
Prosecutors allege Big Jook put hit out on Young Dolph
Last fall, in a shocking development, Shelby County prosecutors alleged that Big Jook had put a $100,000 hit out on Memphis hip-hop artist Young Dolph, resulting in his 2021 murder.
The revelation came Sept. 23 during opening statements in the trial of Justin Johnson for his alleged involvement in the murder of Young Dolph, real name Adolph Thornton Jr.
CMG did not respond to requests for comment from The Commercial Appeal about the prosecutors’ allegations.
Shelby County Deputy District Attorney Paul Hagerman outlined the alleged involvement of both Big Jook and Johnson, who has gone by the stage name Straight Drop, in the November 2021 murder of Dolph.
Hagerman said Johnson was invited to Atlanta by Big Jook and Hernandez Govan ― the man prosecutors say was the mastermind behind the fatal shooting of Young Dolph ― to get signed to the CMG music label. CMG is a rival music label to the one established by Young Dolph, Paper Route Empire. Big Jook offered Johnson the hit in order to get signed to CMG, Hagerman alleged.
Johnson was ultimately convicted of killing Young Dolph and was sentenced to life in prison.
With court action in the Dolph case ongoing — mostly recently, Johnson asked for a retrial, while Govan is set to stand trial in July — it’s possible more information may come out about Big Jook and his alleged connection to the Dolph case.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Big Jook: The latest on investigation into death of Yo Gotti’s brother