Florida rapper YNW Melly will remain behind bars as his bail motion was denied on Friday (September 22, 2022) following an application a week ago.
The rapper has been incarcerated since 2018 for the double murders of his best friends, YNW Juvy and Sakchaser. The rapper went on trial for first-degree murder in the summer, but the jury was deadlocked, leading to him having a retrial.
His new trial is set to begin on October 9 with Jury selection, but the rapper’s attorneys, Stuart Adelstein and Raven Liberty, filed a motion for bail for his release pending trial. The hearing took place a week ago (September 14), but Judge John Murphy III deferred his decision. On Friday, the judge revealed his denial.
“After careful consideration, this Court finds that the State has met its burden of demonstrating that the proof of guilt is evident, and the presumption of guilt is great. The jurors’ inability to reach a unanimous verdict does not alter the nature or weight of the evidence of Defendant’s guilt,” the judge said in court, via NBC 6 South Florida.
Melly’s mother, Jamie King, also reacted to the decision with disappointment.
“Nothing will kill my faith not even this Bond was denied,” she wrote in an Instagram story with a broken heart emoji.
In the meantime, the YNW Melly trial is on track to start on October 9 as the prosecution and defense agree on discovery. On September 13, Melly’s lawyer filed a motion seeking disclosure of the names, addresses, physical evidence, and testimonies likely to be used in the trial.
Based on prior rulings by the judge, some witnesses will not be recalled, but their evidence from the last trial will be used. The second trial is likely to run into the new year as the Court assesses requests from the prosecution and defense.
YNW Melly has maintained his innocence since being accused by authorities of killing his two friends and covering it up as a drive-by shooting. The Miramar rapper has been trying to get bond since, but the judge has continued to deny him a chance at freedom pending the outcome of the trial. Melly was arrested in February 2019 and has not been able to secure bond since.
Watch footage from YNW Melly court hearing below.
