The YNW Melly murder trial is now taking center stage in Florida following the conclusion of the XXXTentacion murder case.
YNW Melly’s mother, Jamie King, confirmed on Monday (April 10) that the trial had started with jury selection. She also seemed optimistic about her son’s chances of winning 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 all over the place, but God got us. #mellyfree2023 @_ynwbslime saw his brother on his birthday for the first time in 4 years.
Jamie King also noted that jury selection is expected to take place over the next two weeks with the formal trial scheduled to begin on June 5, 2023. “Official update on YNW Melly, we began jury selection today and we will continue over the next 2 weeks,” she added. “The trial will begin on June 5, 2023. No more delays. #freemelly2023.
YNW Melly, real name Jamell Demons, was arrested on February 13, 2019, when he turned himself in, and charged with two counts of first degree murder in connection with the shooting deaths 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), has also been charged in the case. According to authorities, the two rappers conspired to kill their two friends in October 2018.
YNW Melly was held without bail and the trial was delayed as defense attorneys and prosecutors deliberated over what evidence to allow at trial. Among the evidence the judge allowed to be used at trial is the rapper’s tattoos, after prosecutors argued they proved gang affiliation and that both murders were linked to a gang. Nonetheless, Melly scored a victory last year when the judge ruled against the death penalty.
At a hearing last September, prosecutors accused YNW Melly of plotting an escape from prison with the help of his attorney. The rapper and his legal team later denied the charge.
“On April 11, 2022, the Broward Sheriff’s Office received confidential information regarding inmates Nicholas Lewis and Jamell Demons, both housed in the same unit at the main jail, planning a jailbreak by asking the attorney to Demons to bring two handcuff keys to aid in the escape,” said part of the prosecution statement.Authorities say they were tipped off by another prison inmate about the plot to escape.
After the hearing, Jamie King blasted prosecutors, accusing them of trying to tarnish Melly’s name while the trial was underway.
“This is just another tactic for them to literally tarnish my son’s character in everything,” King said in a video shared to Instagram. “They don’t want him to have in-person visits from lawyers, which would result in an ineffective lawyer, so we went to court for this and they took his phone calls, and they took him into custody, they have no evidence that his lawyers did anything wrong to prove these charges.