YNW Melly’s Murder Retrial Date Confirmed

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YNW Melly is finally getting a second murder trial this fall after nearly two years of delays. According to the Sun Sentinel, jury selection for the Broward County native's upcoming trial is set to begin in September.

A Broward Circuit Judge ruled on Wednesday, July 9, that the trial will move forward as scheduled despite objections from state prosecutors. They argued that the upcoming legal proceedings should be delayed while the Fourth District Court of Appeals reviews numerous issues from the first trial. However, the judge disagreed and ordered the second trial to commence on September 10.

Melly, born Jamell Demons, has been locked up since he was arrested in 2019 and charged with the murder of Anthony “YNW Sakchaser” Williams and Christopher “YNW Juvy” Thomas. Prosecutors accused the 26-year-old rapper of fatally shooting his two friends and convincing his other associate, Cortlen “YNW Bortlen” Henry, to drop their bodies off at a hospital. 

They claimed they were shot in a drive-by shooting. However, investigators argued that Demons shot them from the backseat of the vehicle after they reviewed surveillance video, witness testimony, and phone records.

Demons went through his trial in the summer of 2023. During that trial, jurors spent over three days deliberating before they eventually became deadlocked. 

Since they could not reach a unanimous decision, the judge was forced to end the trial due to a hung jury. A retrial was supposed to take place 90 days later. But several issues caused the trial to be pushed back several times.