YNW Melly’s murder trial is now taking centerstage in Florida following the conclusion of the XXXTentacion murder case.
YNW Melly’s mother, Jamie King, confirmed on Monday (April 10) that the trial got off the ground with jury selection. She also sounded optimistic about her son’s prospects of beating the case, despite the prosecution convincing the judge to keep him behind bars for four years until his trial.
“Melly coming home today I went to court expecting more delays but we started jury selection,” King wrote. “I can’t explain how I feel my anxiety is everywhere but God got us. #mellyfree2023 @_ynwbslime got see his brother on his birthday first time in 4yrs.”
Jamie King also noted that jury selection is expected to be over the next two weeks, and the official trial is expected to get started on June 5, 2023. “Official update on YNW Melly we started jury selection today and will continue over the next 2 weeks,” she added. “Trial will start June 5, 2023. No more delays. #freemelly2023.”
YNW Melly, whose real name is Jamell Demons, was arrested on February 13, 2019, when he turned himself in, and charged with two counts of first-degree murder in relation to the shooting death of two of his friends, YNW Sakchaser, real name Anthony D’Andre Williams, and YNW Juvy, real name Christopher Thomas Jr. The incarcerated rapper’s other friend, rapper Cortlen Henry (YNW Bortlen), was also charged in the case. According to authorities, the two rappers conspired to kill their two friends in October 2018.
YNW Melly was held without bond, and the trial was delayed as the defense lawyers and prosecutors deliberated on what evidence should be allowed in the trial. Among the evidence that the judge allowed being used in the trial is the rapper’s tattoos, after prosecutors argued that they proved gang affiliation and that the two murders were gang-related. Nevertheless, Melly scored a win last year when the judge ruled against the death penalty.
During a court hearing last September, prosecutors accused YNW Melly of plotting a prison escape with the help of his attorney. The rapper and his legal team subsequently denied the accusation.
“On April 11, 2022, Broward Sheriff’s Office received a confidential tip regarding inmates Nicholas Lewis and Jamell Demons, both housed in the same unit at the Main Jail, planning an escape from jail by having Demons’ attorney bring in two handcuff keys to aid in the escape,” part of the prosecution’s statement said. Authorities say they were tipped off by another inmate in the jail about the plot to escape.
After the hearing, Jamie King put prosecutors on blast, accusing them of trying to tarnish Melly’s name while the trial was pending.
“This is just another tactic for them to literally tarnish my son’s character in everything,” King said in a video shared on Instagram. “They do not want him having attorney visits in person which will cause for ineffective counsel so we went to court for that and they took his phone calls, and they had him on lockdown, they have no evidence whatsoever that his attorneys did anything wrong to prove these accusations.”
