Jordan Ellis
YNW Melly, born Jamell Demons, is an American rapper and singer who gained prominence following the release of his single Murder on My Mind in 2018. In February 2019, he was arrested and charged with the double murder of two fellow rappers, YNW Juvy and YNW Sakchaser, who were also part of the YNW hip-hop collective. During his highly publicized murder trial in June 2023, YNW Melly appeared to display emotion as footage of the victims in the hospital was presented. While the prosecution argued that Demons confessed to the murders, the defense pointed out a lack of motive and inconsistencies in the investigation. The trial ended in a mistrial due to a hung jury, and YNW Melly awaits a retrial, facing the possibility of life imprisonment or the death penalty if convicted.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of trial | June 12, 2023 |
| Hospital footage | Victims' hospital footage from the night of the fatal shooting |
| Reaction to hospital footage | YNW Melly cried over the footage |
| Jury selection | Began on October 17, 2023 |
| Retrial date | September 10, 2025 |
| Judge | John Murphy |
| Jury vote | 9-3 in favour of convicting Demons on two lesser offenses of manslaughter |
| Potential sentence | Life in prison without parole or the death penalty |
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What You'll Learn
YNW Melly cried during his double murder trial
YNW Melly, born Jamell Maurice Demons, is an American rapper and singer. He rose to fame in 2018 with his single "Murder on My Mind", which explored homicidal ideation. The song's release garnered him attention when he was charged with the double murder of two fellow rappers in the "YNW" collective the following year.
On June 12, 2023, YNW Melly's double murder trial began in Florida. During the trial, Melly appeared to cry while watching hospital footage of his deceased friends, who were the victims of the alleged crime. According to a tweet by Law & Crime, Melly initially refused to look at the footage but later seemed to shed a tear as the video played. The tweet described Melly as appearing to "wipe his eyelids."
The trial gained public attention due to the controversial nature of the song "Murder on My Mind," which seemed to foreshadow the rapper's alleged involvement in a double murder. The prosecution argued that Melly and Cortlen Henry murdered their two friends, Anthony Williams (YNW Sakchaser) and Christopher Thomas (YNW Juvy), and attempted to stage it as a drive-by shooting.
The jury deliberated for fourteen hours over three days but could not reach a unanimous verdict. On July 22, 2023, Judge John Murphy declared a mistrial due to the jury's deadlock, with a 9-to-3 vote favoring conviction on the lesser offenses of manslaughter. The new trial proceedings were scheduled to begin on October 9, 2023, with jury selection starting on October 17, 2023.
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The jury was deadlocked and a mistrial was declared
YNW Melly, whose real name is Jamell Demons, is an American rapper and singer. He was arrested and charged with the murder of two fellow rappers, Anthony D'Andre Williams (YNW Sakchaser) and Christopher Jermaine Thomas Jr. (YNW Juvy), in October 2018. The trial for this case began on June 12, 2023, and the jury deliberated for fourteen hours over three days. However, they were unable to reach a unanimous verdict, even after the judge's urging through an Allen charge. As a result, on July 22, 2023, Judge John Murphy declared a mistrial due to the jury deadlock, with a 9-to-3 vote favoring conviction on the lesser offenses of manslaughter.
The jury's inability to reach a unanimous verdict resulted in a hung jury and subsequently led to the declaration of a mistrial. This outcome occurred despite the prosecution's presentation of forensic and video evidence, including surveillance footage, that allegedly implicated Demons as the killer. On the other hand, the defense attorney, David A. Howard, argued that there was no motive for Demons to murder his friends and that the prosecution's case lacked substantial evidence.
During the trial, YNW Melly reportedly shed tears while watching the victims' hospital footage from the night of the fatal shootings. This emotional display was noted by those present in the courtroom, including the victims' families. The case attracted significant public attention due to Demons' hit single "Murder on My Mind", which explores homicidal ideation.
Following the declaration of a mistrial, YNW Melly remained in custody, and the new trial proceedings were scheduled to begin on October 9, 2023. However, the case encountered further delays, and in early 2024, it was placed on an indefinite pause awaiting the inclusion of a video as evidence. The upcoming retrial was then scheduled to start on September 10, 2025, with a pretrial meeting set for December 5, 2024, regarding Demons' tampering case.
The YNW Melly trial is notable for being the first case to be determined under Governor Ron DeSantis' new non-unanimous death penalty law. This law allows for a jury to recommend the death penalty if at least eight out of twelve jurors agree, even without a unanimous decision. If convicted, Demons could face life imprisonment without parole or the death penalty.
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YNW Melly is accused of murdering two fellow rappers
YNW Melly, whose real name is Jamell Demons, is accused of murdering two fellow rappers, YNW Juvy and YNW Sakchaser, in October 2018. YNW Juvy's real name was Christopher Jermaine Thomas Jr., while YNW Sakchaser's real name was Anthony D'Andre Williams.
Demons was arrested in February 2019 for the murders and has been in jail awaiting trial ever since. The trial began on June 12, 2023, more than four years after his arrest. During the trial, Demons appeared to cry while watching footage of the victims in the hospital after the shooting.
Prosecutors argued that Demons and YNW Bortlen, whose real name is Cortlen Henry, murdered their two friends and attempted to stage it as a drive-by shooting. They claimed that Demons confessed to the murders in Instagram direct messages, stating, "Shhh. I did that." Surveillance footage also showed Demons taking the seat inside the car from which experts determined the shots were fired.
On the other hand, the defense attorney for Demons argued that there was no motive for Demons to kill his friends and that the prosecution's case was full of reasonable doubt. The jury deliberated for fourteen hours over three days but could not reach a unanimous verdict, resulting in a mistrial being declared. A retrial was scheduled for October 2023 but was later postponed to September 2025.
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Victims' families believe they have the right suspect
YNW Melly, whose real name is Jamell Demons, is an American rapper and singer. He rose to fame in 2018 with his single "Murder on My Mind", which explored homicidal ideation. In February 2019, he was arrested and charged with the double murder of two fellow rappers, YNW Juvy and YNW Sakchaser, who were also part of the "YNW" hip-hop collective. The trial began on June 12, 2023, more than four years after his arrest.
During the trial, YNW Melly appeared to cry while watching footage of the victims in the hospital. The victims' families were also present in the courtroom and were deeply affected by the footage. Despite the defense's efforts to prove YNW Melly's innocence, the victims' families are convinced that they have the right suspect in custody. They believe that Melly and his co-defendant, YNW Bortlen, are responsible for the deaths of their loved ones.
The prosecution's case includes forensic and video evidence that allegedly points to Demons as the killer. Surveillance footage showed him in the car from which the shots were fired. However, the defense attorney, David A. Howard, argued that there was no motive for Demons to kill his friends and that the investigation was "riddled" with reasonable doubt.
The jury deliberated for fourteen hours over three days but was unable to reach a unanimous verdict. On July 22, 2023, Judge John Murphy declared a mistrial due to the deadlocked jury, with a 9-to-3 vote favoring conviction on the lesser offenses of manslaughter. A new trial was scheduled to begin on October 9, 2023, but the case was later placed on an indefinite pause awaiting the inclusion of a video as evidence. The retrial is now expected to start on September 10, 2025, with a pretrial meeting scheduled for December 5, 2024.
While the legal proceedings are ongoing, YNW Melly remains in custody. If convicted, he faces life imprisonment without parole or the death penalty. The case has gained significant public attention due to the contrast between the rapper's musical success and the serious criminal charges he faces.
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YNW Melly's defence lawyer criticised the investigation
YNW Melly, whose real name is Jamell Demons, has been in jail in Broward County since 2019 awaiting a verdict on murder charges. He is accused of the double murder of two fellow rappers in the "YNW" collective, Christopher Thomas Jr. and Anthony Williams, in 2018.
In June 2023, Melly's double-murder trial got underway in Florida, more than four years after his arrest. During the trial, Melly appeared to shed a tear as victims' hospital footage from the night of the fatal shootings was played.
Melly's defence lawyers have criticised the investigation into the murders, claiming that prosecutors committed felony obstruction of justice by not revealing that the lead detective in the case had previously been accused of being willing to lie while gathering evidence. In addition, one of Melly's attorneys, David Howard, attacked the prosecutors' case, claiming that the investigation into Melly was "incompetent and incomplete".
Furthermore, in August 2025, Melly fired his defence lawyers after his double-murder trial was postponed until 2027. The reason for the firing was an ongoing criminal investigation into his current legal team, which created a conflict of interest. It was indicated that the target of the probe was Raven Liberty, Melly's longtime lead counsel. Melly's new lawyers expressed concern that the investigation into his previous attorneys may have included "protected attorney-client communications", impacting their ability to effectively defend him.
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Frequently asked questions
YNW Melly is not in hospital. However, during his double murder trial, he appeared to shed a tear while watching hospital footage of his deceased friends.
During the trial, YNW Melly was accused of murdering his two friends, YNW Sakchaser and YNW Juvy, in October 2018. The prosecution alleged that Melly and YNW Bortlen staged the crime scene to look like a drive-by shooting. Despite the prosecution's claims, the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict, and the judge declared a mistrial.
The jury deliberated for fourteen hours over three days but could not reach a unanimous verdict. Judge John Murphy declared a mistrial on July 22, 2023, with a 9-to-3 vote favouring conviction on the lesser charges of manslaughter. A retrial was scheduled for October 9, 2023, but the case was later placed on hold indefinitely.
