Jamell Demons, or rising rapper YNW Melly, and 20-year-old Cortlen Henry were charged in the 2018 murders of rappers YNW Juvy and YNW Sakchaser. NBC 6’s Amanda Plasencia reports.
The trial of a rising South Florida rapper accused of killing two other aspiring rappers nearly five years ago was underway Monday.
Jamell Demons, whose stage name is YNW Melly, is facing two first-degree murder charges in the Oct. 26, 2018 killings of 21-year-old Anthony Williams and 19-year-old Christopher Thomas in Miramar.
Opening statements were being delivered Monday. Prosecutors have said they'd be seeking the death penalty against Demons.
Demons, now 24, has pleaded not guilty.
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Authorities said Demons and another man, Cortlen Henry, staged the crime scene to resemble a drive-by shooting after Demons allegedly shot and killed Williams and Thomas.
Thomas went by the stage name YNW Juvy while Williams was known as YNW Sakchaser.
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YNW Melly's albums "We All Shine" and "Melly vs. Melvin" have been big hits, and the rapper has collaborated with fellow artists Kanye West and Kodak Black.
