YNW Melly's retrial for double murder is now scheduled to begin on 6 January 2027 — nearly eight years after his arrest. Born Jamell Maurice Demons, the Florida rapper has been held without conviction since February 2019, facing two counts of first-degree murder over the deaths of childhood friends Anthony "YNW Sakchaser" Williams and Christopher "YNW Juvy" Thomas Jr. The road to a second trial has been one of the most protracted in recent music history, derailed repeatedly by evidence disputes, appeals, and new charges.
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- YNW Melly's retrial is officially set for 6 January 2027, presided over by Judge Martin S. Fein in Broward County, Florida
- Melly, real name Jamell Maurice Demons, has been in custody since 13 February 2019
- His first trial ended in a mistrial on 22 July 2023 after a hung jury voted 9–3 for conviction
- In January 2026, prosecutors dropped all four witness tampering charges against him — on the eve of that trial beginning
- If convicted of first-degree murder, Melly faces the death penalty under Florida's non-unanimous jury law
Profile summary
Full name | Jamell Maurice Demons |
Stage name | YNW Melly |
Date of birth | 1 May 1999 |
Age | 27 |
Origin | Gifford, Florida, USA |
Charge | Two counts of premeditated first-degree murder |
Co-defendant | Cortlen "YNW Bortlen" Henry |
Arrested | 13 February 2019 |
Held at | Broward County Jail, Fort Lauderdale, Florida |
Current status | Incarcerated, awaiting retrial |
Retrial date | 6 January 2027 |
Potential sentence | Death penalty or life without parole |
What did YNW Melly do?
YNW Melly — real name Jamell Demons — is accused of murdering his two friends, Anthony D'Andre Williams (YNW Sakchaser) and Christopher Jermaine Thomas Jr. (YNW Juvy), in October 2018.
Prosecutors say Melly, after a late-night recording session, shot Thomas and Williams inside an SUV, and he and Cortlen "YNW Bortlen" Henry then tried to make it look like a drive-by shooting.
Williams, aged 21, and Thomas, aged 19, were shot multiple times on 26 October in Miramar, approximately 30 miles northwest of Miami. Police said Henry drove the pair to hospital, where they were pronounced dead.
A police statement from February 2019 read: "Further investigation, supported by forensic evidence, concluded that Demons shot and killed Williams and Thomas Jr., and that Demons and Henry staged the crime scene to resemble a drive-by shooting."
Following a grand jury indictment, Demons and Henry were arrested on 13 February 2019, charged with the premeditated first-degree murders of Williams and Thomas. Demons pleaded not guilty.
What evidence is against YNW Melly?
The prosecution's case against Melly rests on several strands of evidence, all of which his defence has vigorously challenged.
- The bulk of the prosecution's filings challenged evidence extracted from Melly's cellphone, email addresses, and social media accounts. His attorneys questioned the validity of the search warrants used to obtain that evidence.
- Throughout the first trial, prosecutor Kristine Bradley introduced thousands of photos, videos, and messages that Melly allegedly sent and received on a phone number tied to him, as well as his Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat accounts.
- For the prosecution, one message stood out as a near-confession. On 26 October 2018, a man known as Peezy Gambino asked if Melly was OK via Instagram DMs. "I did that," Melly responded. "Shhhh."
- The state also presented forensic evidence including ballistics reports and DNA analysis, testimony from law enforcement officers and forensic experts, and surveillance footage from the area.
Demons' defence team argued that the rapper had no motive to kill Williams and Thomas, who were described as his "best friends." The defence has also highlighted that a murder weapon was never recovered.
The defence further argued that "the DNA evidence is inconclusive, the cell tower evidence… it's not accurate, and when it's accurate is not specific," noting that incomplete evidence forces jurors to "speculate."
How many trials has YNW Melly had?
Source: Getty Images
YNW Melly has had one completed trial, which ended in a mistrial. His retrial has been scheduled — and postponed — multiple times.
The first trial: mistrial in 2023
The first trial began on 12 June 2023 and concluded on 22 July 2023 with a hung jury.
Prosecutors charged Melly with ensuring a key witness did not testify at that first murder trial. The jury voted 9–3 for conviction but could not reach a unanimous decision.
After 19 days of hearing arguments, Judge John Murphy declared a mistrial.
The retrial: a timeline of delays
Following the mistrial, Melly's retrial was originally pencilled in for October 2023, then delayed again and again.
- October 2023 — Retrial scheduled; jury selection begins, but proceedings stall over evidence disputes.
- January 2024 — Authorities place the trial on hold indefinitely.
- July 2024 — A new judge schedules the retrial for 10 September 2025.
- August 2025 — Judge Martin S. Fein postpones the September date until January 2027, confirmed by prosecutors.
- January 2027 — The new trial date is officially set for 6 January 2027.
Why does the retrial keep getting delayed?
One major cause of delay is disputed evidence. Judge John Murphy originally removed certain items from the retrial, and state prosecutors appealed his ruling. The contested evidence stems from items extracted from Melly's cellphone, email addresses, and social media accounts.
The most recent delay was sparked by ongoing appeals from both sides over what evidence will be admitted in the trial. An appeals court granted a "stay" ordering Judge Fein to halt all proceedings until after that appeal is resolved; both prosecutors and Melly's defence team had asked for the delay. The former defence attorney said:
"Despite the Court being adamant that trial will begin on September 6, 2025, the reality is a retrial in this matter will not occur until 2026. Mr. Demons will have been living in conditions, worse than that of death-row prisoners for over 7 years."
YNW Melly's witness tampering charges: dropped at the last minute
In October 2023, Melly faced a separate set of charges on top of the murder case.
Prosecutors claimed Melly used prison contacts — passed letters and phone calls from fellow inmates — to prevent a key witness from testifying against him during his first trial.
Melly was specifically accused of convincing his ex-girlfriend Mariah Hamilton and her mother, Felicia Holmes, not to testify in the first trial.
In a surprise move on 20 January 2026 — a day before jury selection was set to begin — Florida prosecutors dropped the witness tampering and gang-related charges. State prosecutors in Broward dismissed all four charges in the case: witness tampering; directing the activities of a criminal gang; criminal solicitation to commit murder; and conspiracy to tamper with a witness on a capital case.
Melly's newly retained legal team, Drew Findling and Carey Haughwout, issued a statement following the dismissal:
"As his newly retained legal team, it became immediately apparent to us that no crimes had occurred. Unfortunately, for 652 days while these charges were pending, the state did not reach the same conclusion until the cusp of trial."
Separately, co-defendant Cortlen Henry reached a plea deal with prosecutors in September and was sentenced to 10 years in prison on witness tampering and accessory after the fact charges.
YNW Melly's release date: when could he go free?
Source: Getty Images
If convicted, Melly faces either life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty.
Demons could be one of the first defendants sentenced under Governor Ron DeSantis' non-unanimous death penalty law, which allows a jury to recommend death if at least eight out of twelve jurors agree.
Melly's request for pre-trial release was denied by a judge in May 2025, ensuring that he will remain in custody until his retrial begins in 2027, unless future legal developments alter his detention status.
The retrial is now postponed until 6 January 2027, meaning Demons will have spent over eight years in custody without a conviction. The trial continues to attract attention from media and fans, in part because of the notoriety of his music, the length of his incarceration, and the potential implications of Florida's new non-unanimous death penalty law.
Latest news on YNW Melly (2025–2026)
The past year has brought several significant developments:
- August 2025: About a month before the trial was set to begin, the Broward State Attorney's Office confirmed to Rolling Stone that Melly would not face trial until January 2027. Judge Martin S. Fein postponed the trial for a second time due to delays on both sides over what evidence will be admitted.
- July 2025: At a pre-trial hearing, Judge Fein ordered the release of documents connected to Melly's then-attorney Raven Liberty, who had reportedly been under investigation for 18 months for alleged witness tampering, though no formal charges were filed.
- January 2026: Prosecutors dropped witness tampering charges against Melly on the day a trial was set to begin, prompting his lawyers to vow renewed efforts to free him from jail after nearly seven years behind bars.
- January 2026 onwards: With the tampering charges off the table, Melly's attorneys said they would try to free him from Broward County Jail pending his double-murder trial, which is set for January 2027 with the death penalty still on the table.
FAQs
- When does YNW Melly's retrial start? YNW Melly's retrial for double murder is officially scheduled to begin on 6 January 2027 in Broward County, Florida, presided over by Judge Martin S. Fein.
- What is YNW Melly's real name? His legal name is Jamell Maurice Demons. He was born on 1 May 1999 in Gifford, Florida.
- How many trials has YNW Melly had? He has had one trial, which ended in a mistrial in July 2023 after a jury deadlocked 9–3 in favour of conviction. His retrial has been delayed multiple times and is currently set for January 2027.
- Why did YNW Melly's first trial end in a mistrial? The jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict after three days of deliberation. Reports later indicated that one juror who favoured Melly refused to convict and convinced two others to vote not guilty.
- What evidence is against YNW Melly? Key evidence includes messages from Melly's phone and social media accounts, forensic and ballistics data, and surveillance footage. A disputed Instagram DM in which Melly allegedly wrote "I did that. Shhhh" is among the most significant pieces cited by prosecutors.
- Will YNW Melly face the death penalty? If convicted, he could face the death penalty under Florida's non-unanimous jury law, which allows a death sentence recommendation if at least 8 of 12 jurors agree.
- What happened to YNW Melly's witness tampering charges? Prosecutors dropped all four witness tampering and gang-related charges on 20 January 2026, a day before that separate trial was due to begin. No reason was publicly given by the state attorney's office.
- What happened to co-defendant YNW Bortlen? Cortlen "YNW Bortlen" Henry reached a plea deal, accepting a 10-year prison sentence on witness tampering and accessory after the fact charges in exchange for the state dropping the two murder charges against him.
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Source: TUKO.co.ke
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