Jamell Demons, better known as rapper YNW Melly, reacts after the judge declared a mistrial after the jury was deadlocked and unable to reach a verdict at the Broward County Courthouse on Saturday, July 22, 2023, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Demons, 24, was accused of killing two fellow rappers and conspiring to make it look like a drive-by shooting in October 2018.
YNW Melly scored a minor victory this past weekend after dodging a guilty verdict on murder charges after a Florida judge declared a mistrial.
However, the rapper will be heading back to court to face charges in the 2018 killings of Anthony “YNW Sakchaser” Williams and 19-year-old Christopher “YNW Juvy” Thomas after the prosecution announced plans to retry the case.
According to NBC6, on Monday (July 24), the Broward County State Lawyer’s office confirmed it will be proceeding with a second trial after the first ended in a hung jury. Per Melly’s mother, nine jurors voted not guilty in favour of the rapper and the defence, while the other three jurors felt that he was guilty of committing the double murder of his friends.
Melly had been charged with two first-degree murder charges in the demises of Williams and Thomas and was facing a possible death sentence if sentenced to the charges. During the trial, the prosecution contended that the murder of Williams was premeditated and that he was sleeping at the time of his demise.
“Anthony Williams was shot in the back of the head. That was planned for when he was sleeping so that he couldn’t fight back,” said assistant state prosecutor Kristine Bradley. “That was a premeditated planned killing of Williams, where there would be an alibi already discussed.”
The defence claimed that Melly, born Jamell Demons, was nowhere near the crime scene and was at home asleep at the time the murders took place. His attorneys also claimed that the rapper’s co-defendant Corten “YNW Borten” Henry, who is alleged to have driven the dead bodies of Williams and Thomas to a Florida hospital, is responsible for the double-homicide and that their client is innocent. “They want you to believe he is a cold-hearted murderer when quite to the contrary, you saw the tapes, you saw he is a nice young man and a professional,” spoken of Melly’s defence attorney Stuart Adelstein.
Henry’s slaying trial starts on Oct. 2, 2023.
© 2023 • Story By Edem Latsu Nukafu
Writer’s email:edemlatsu093@gmail.com
