YNW Melly murder case ends in mistrial

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The trial of Jamell “YNW Melly” Demons ended Saturday afternoon with a hung jury after more than 14 hours of deliberation over three days.

Jurors told Broward Circuit judge John J. Murphy they could not reach a unanimous decision even after they were instructed Friday to do everything they could to resolve their disagreements. They deliberated for more than five hours after telling the judge Friday they were deadlocked.

The failure to reach a verdict means the jury is excused, Demons, 24, will likely remain in custody and the process will begin anew at a later date with a new jury. Prosecutors will be able to reconsider whether to pursue the death penalty.

The new trial should begin with jury selection in 90 days, Murphy said.

Closing arguments were held on Thursday. On Friday jurors asked for some testimony to be read back, then told the judge they were deadlocked. The judge read a routine instruction called the “Allen charge,” directing jurors to try harder, consider each other’s arguments and attempt to reach a unanimous agreement.

Since then the jurors sent no messages to the court until early Saturday afternoon, when they asked to see a damaged cell phone that belonged to victim Christopher “YNW Juvy” Thomas.

Thomas and Anthony “YNW Sakchaser” Williams were shot to death inside a Jeep driven by their friend, Cortland “YNW Bortlen” Henry. Prosecutors say Demons was seated behind Henry after an overnight recording session in Fort Lauderdale early on Oct. 26, 2018.

The four young men were part of a collective of rap artists, and longtime friends. Prosecutors believe Demons tangled with the victims about money and creative credit, and that Demons was part of an offshoot of the Bloods street gang.

Defense lawyers say that’s not nearly enough to explain why Demons would, with no apparent provocation, fire a gun at Williams and Thomas, killing them.

Still, prosecutors say, all the evidence points to Demons as the shooter. He was seen on surveillance footage getting into the seat where forensic experts say the gunman sat. He told investigators that the victims died in a drive-by, even though the bullets that killed them came from inside the car.

Demons and Henry were accused of stopping the car in an isolated area off US 27 and firing into the vehicle from outside to stage the drive-by. Henry then drove the victims, alone, to Memorial Hospital in Miramar, where they were officially pronounced dead.

But prosecutors say the drive-by was staged when the victims were already dead.

Henry, who has been charged as a principal and accessory to the murders, is due to be tried separately.

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