A date has been set for a new double murder trial against South Florida rapper YNW Melly, after a jury deadlock prompted a mistrial on the first try.
Jury selection will begin Oct. 2 in the retrial of the rapper, who's accused of murdering two of his friends five years ago, a Broward judge said Friday.
The rapper, whose real name is Jamell Demons, is accused of killing 21-year-old Anthony Williams and 19-year-old Christopher Thomas in Miramar in October 2018.
YNW MELLY TRIAL
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Demons, Williams and Thomas were riding in a Jeep driven by Cortland Henry, known as YNW Bortlen, after a recording session in Fort Lauderdale when Demons fatally shot Williams and Thomas, prosecutors said. Henry is charged as an accomplice in the case but will be tried separately.
Authorities said Demons and Henry staged the crime scene to resemble a drive-by shooting.
During his first trial, prosecutors said the shooting was part of a gang action, while defense attorneys said the motive lacked credibility because Demons and the victims were close friends.
The defense insisted Demons was home sleeping at the time of the murders, and claim Henry is responsible.
A jury sat through 19 days of trial and deliberated for two days before announcing they couldn't reach a unanimous decision. Judge John Murphy then declared a mistrial.
"You gave us the time and you put your best effort to see if you could bring this case to a resolution, unfortunately, it wasn't able to happen but I want to thank you again for your time and consideration of the case,” Murphy told jurors last Saturday after declaring the mistrial.
Demons, now 24, has pleaded not guilty and faces a possible death sentence if convicted.
Thomas went by the stage name YNW Juvy while Williams was known as YNW Sakchaser. They were childhood friends of Demons and part of the YNW collective.
