Homicide trial of rapper YNW Melly ends in mistrial after jury deadlocks; retrial seemingly
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A deadlocked jury has prompted a mistrial within the double homicide trial of rapper YNW Melly in South Florida
Jamell Demons, higher referred to as rapper YNW Melly, is proven on the protection desk as a query from the jury is learn by the choose in his trial on the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Friday, July 21, 2023. Demons, 22, is accused of killing two fellow rappers and conspiring to make it appear to be a drive-by capturing in October 2018. (Amy Beth Bennett /South Florida Solar-Sentinel by way of AP)
The Related Press
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A deadlocked jury prompted a mistrial Saturday within the South Florida trial of rapper YNW Melly on fees that he murdered two of his mates 5 years in the past.
The 12-member panel couldn’t attain a unanimous verdict after three days of deliberations. Broward County prosecutors, who had been looking for the dying penalty, will seemingly select to retry the case with a brand new jury. A unanimous verdict is required to convict or acquit a defendant.
Broward Circuit Choose John Murphy twice requested the jurors to maintain deliberating after they stated they have been deadlocked, however relented after they got here again a 3rd time.
Prosecutors say YNW Melly, whose authorized identify is Jamell Demons, shot Anthony Williams and Christopher Thomas Jr. whereas they have been all inside a Jeep. Williams and Thomas have been each a part of the YNW collective, recognized respectively as YNW Sakchaser and YNW Juvy.
Prosecutors stated the capturing was a part of a gang motion, whereas protection attorneys stated that declare lacks credibility as a result of Demons and the victims have been shut mates.
In keeping with prosecutors, Demons, Williams and Thomas have been using in a Jeep pushed by Cortland Henry, referred to as YNW Bortlen, after a recording session in Fort Lauderdale on Oct. 26, 2018. They are saying Demons fatally shot Williams and Thomas. Henry is charged as an confederate within the case and will likely be tried individually.
After killing Williams and Thomas, prosecutors stated Demons and Henry drove the our bodies to an space close to the Everglades, the place they shot on the again and passenger sides of Henry’s Jeep from the skin to make it appear to be Williams and Thomas had been the victims of a drive-by capturing.
However prosecutors say ballistics exams present the pair have been shot from contained in the Jeep.
Protection legal professionals targeted on the truth that the gun was by no means recovered. Additionally they informed jurors that YNW Melly had no obvious motive for the crime.
YNW Melly had his breakout in 2017 and went on to work with Kanye West on “Blended Personalities,” which was launched in January 2019, a month earlier than Demons, 24, was arrested on homicide fees.
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