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IrelandJose Bodega invokes Fifth Amendment in Yella Beezy trial
WFAA's courtroom footage shows the rapper declining material questions outside the jury's presence, including questions about his earlier grand jury testimony.
WFAA
Story of Why this story? The video opened at a pace of 224,544 views a day, 86 times a normal first day on this channel (2,595).
Yella Beezy trial: Rapper Jose Bodega pleads the fifth during testimony in MO3 murder trial
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- 0:00Judge Chika Anyiam notes that the proceedings are taking place outside the jury's presence.
- 1:58Thomas begins invoking his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination in response to the prosecutor's questions.
- 2:58The prosecutor presents transcript pages and photographs from prior proceedings for Thomas to examine.
- 9:39Anyiam observes that Thomas appears to be invoking the Fifth in response to all material questions.
- 10:50Thomas confirms he intends to invoke the Fifth regarding everything he testified to before the grand jury.
- 11:41Anyiam excuses Thomas, then instructs counsel to ensure he remains in the courthouse.
The jury was not in the courtroom when Theodore Thomas, the rapper known as Jose Bodega, took the witness stand. Asked about earlier testimony during Yella Beezy's trial over MO3's killing, he repeatedly invoked his right against self-incrimination.
"I'm going to plead the Fifth to that," Thomas said. His attorney, James Lee Bright, was present as the prosecutor questioned him about past incarceration and grand jury testimony, then presented transcript pages and photographs from prior proceedings.
WFAA's footage drew roughly 113,000 views in eight hours, far beyond the station's usual start for a regular video. A separate discussion of the testimony featuring Sean Daredia and WFAA investigative reporter Tanya Eiserer also drew an unusually large audience.
The courtroom exchange centers on what Thomas would answer, rather than new testimony about the killing. The prosecutor stated that Thomas was not indicted in relation to this case. As questions continued about earlier statements and specific people, Thomas kept invoking the Fifth.
Judge Chika Anyiam eventually intervened: "It looks like he's pleading the Fifth to all material questions that you're asking him." Asked whether he intended to invoke that right regarding everything he had testified to before the grand jury, Thomas answered, "Yes."
Anyiam excused him from the stand but instructed his counsel to keep him in the courthouse in case he was needed again.
Yella Beezy is the stage name of Markies Deandre Conway, a rapper from Dallas, Texas. He was arrested on a capital murder charge in 2025.
More on Wikipedia ›MO3 was the stage name of Melvin Abdul Noble Jr., a Dallas rapper known for the 2020 single "Broken Love".
More on Wikipedia ›Published on Trari
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- Channel
- WFAA
- Subscribers
- 2,190,000
- Channel views, last 7 days
- 3,333,393
- Channel views, pace per day
- 657,121 (on a normal day: 557,883)
- Video published
- October 29, 2026
- Video views so far
- 112,614 (less than a day online)
- Video views, pace per day
- 224,544
The numbers
The courtroom footage and WFAA's separate legal discussion both drew far more views than the station's regular videos usually receive at the same stage.
