YNW Melly’s Double Murder Case Mistrial, Explained

YNW Melly’s highly publicized double murder case has officially closed for now. On Saturday, July 22, a South Florida district judge stepped in to declare a mistrial after the jury could not decide on a verdict.

Throughout the trial, several rumors flooded social media. One was that if Melly was convicted on the two first-degree murder charges, he would face the death penalty. Although capital sentencing is still practiced in Florida, that possibility, according to XXL,, was dropped for an unknown reason. However, according to Billboard, that decision was overturned by an appellate judge.

Here’s the rundown of YNW Melly’s double murder case mistrial.

Who Is YNW Melly?

YNW Melly, real name Jamell Maurice Demons, is a rapper who became prominent in 2018. Melly is most known for his songs “Murder on My Mind”; “Mixed Personalities,” featuring Kanye West; “Suicidal”; and “223’s,” featuring 9lokknine. The Florida rapper is the most famous member of the musical collective YNW, which is an acronym. Fans debate whether its true meaning is Young N**** World, Young New Wave, or Young New World. Due to his quick rise, YNW Melly secured collaborations with other prominent entertainers, including Kanye West, Kodak Black, Queen Naija, Lil Tjay, Tee Grizzley, and the late Juice WRLD.

The first documented release from YNW Melly is dated back to 2016. However, he has stated in past interviews that he began his music career earlier than that. Melly has released several projects, including 2017’s Collect Call EP, 2018’s I Am You mixtape, 2019’s We All Shine mixtape, his debut album Melly vs. Melvin that same year, and 2020’s Just A Matter Of Slime.

What Was YNW Melly Charged With?

According to The Sun-Sentinel, on February 12, 2019, Melly surrendered himself to law enforcement after he was suspected of having been involved in the October 2018 shooting deaths of his friends Anthony Williams (aka YNW Sakchaser) and Christopher Thomas Jr. (aka YNW Juvy), who were also members of his music collective.

Melly was formally charged with two counts of first-degree murder. A month before being charged, Melly’s associate Cortlen Henry (aka YNW Bortlen) was arrested in Houston, Texas, in connection to the case. Henry was later extradited to Florida, according to The Florida Times-Union.

Police alleged that Melly shot and killed Williams and Thomas. Melly, they claimed, brought in Henry to serve as the gateway driver and to assist with staging a crime scene to divert authorities’ investigation. Police also accused the pair of further damaging the crime scene to make it appear like a drive-by shooting had occurred.

Before turning himself in, Melly took to Instagram to declare his innocence, writing, “I want you guys to know I love you and appreciate every single one of y’all. A couple of months ago, I lost my two brothers to violence, and now the system wants to find justice. Unfortunately, a lot of rumors and lies are being said, but no worries, God is with me and my brother @ynw.bortlen, and we want y’all to remember it’s a YNW family. I love you, @ynwsakchaser1 and @ynwjuvy #freeus.”

When Did The Trial Begin?

Initially, the trial was set to begin on March 7, 2022, but it was delayed. A new date of May 23, 2022, was given for the trial to start. However, continued delays pushed it back to June 6, 2022. After multiple delays, according to AllHipHop, Melly’s legal team decided to file a speedy trial request on May 26, 2022, forcing the trial to begin within 175 days.

The trial was further delayed when YNW Melly’s legal sought to remove the death penalty. Finally, jury selection commenced on April 11, 2023, with the trial beginning on June 12, 2023, and concluding on June 22, 2023.

What Was The Verdict?

After the jury was gridlocked on Friday, July 21, 2023, they were dismissed by Broward Circuit Judge John Murphy III. On Saturday, July 22, 2023, the judge returned to the courtroom, declaring a mistrial.

According to a Snapchat post by YNW Melly’s mother, Jamie King, the jury leaned more towards a not-guilty verdict. Based on the note, King alleged that more than half of the 12-person panel cast a non-guilty ballet. In the note, she wrote, “9 Not Guilty 3 Guilty it was a mistrial my son will be home God is still working.”

As per the law in Florida, the YMW Melly trial can be retried, as double jeopardy has not been floated due to the trial ending in a mistrial. Mistrial simply means the jury could not make a unanimous decision. Therefore, YNW Melly hasn’t been found guilty or innocent. Law And Crime on-the-ground correspondent Bryson “Boom” Paul noted that the prosecutor of this case, Kristine Bradley, did hint at bringing the case back to the trial. When Judge Murphy III made the ruling, she was asked what could wind up being the next steps. She replied, “Let’s set a scheduling date and start with the 90 days” — the standard for refillings.