Update 2: A person who served on the jury during rapper YNW Melly’s double murder trial says one “manipulative woman” caused the case to end in a mistrial.
The 24-year-old Florida rapper is accused of gunning down two childhood friends and staging the scene to make it look like a drive-by shooting in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida in 2018.
The unidentified former juror told Local 10 News that the jurors voted 11-1 for a guilty verdict.
The former juror said one woman on the jury was argumentative and clashed with other jurors.
“From day one, she had issues with the foreperson selected, at one point crossing her arms and saying she was ‘Done!’ When another juror asked to not shut down and set her feelings aside, she exploded,” the former juror said.
“She was explosive, manipulative, she was rude, she yelled insults at anyone who had a different opinion. She was there to cause chaos,” the former juror added.
During the jury selection process, the woman admitted she had previous experience with the legal system because of past family issues. However, she insisted the negative experience wouldn’t affect her ability to serve on the jury.
On the last day of deliberations, the former juror said the woman pulled two jurors aside and tried to convince them to acquit the rapper.
“Then, she came over and announced to the group that they had changed their minds. But when another juror asked why she was speaking for them, she exploded.”
The former juror added that the woman then hurled gay slurs at the man who questioned her.
When the jurors announced they were hopelessly deadlocked on July 22, Broward County Circuit Judge John J. Murphy declared a mistrial.
Prosecutors announced the double murder case will be retried on October 2. Another hearing is set for Friday, August 4.
Meanwhile, YNW Melly remains behind bars until his retrial.
Update: A Florida rapper whose double murder case ended in a mistrial last week will be retried.
YNW Melly, who was born Jamell Demons, will remain behind bars until his case is retried with a new jury. He has been locked up since Feb. 12, 2019.
Melly was on trial for killing his two childhood friends, aspiring rappers Christopher Thomas Jr., 19, and Anthony Williams, 21, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on October 26, 2018.
Broward County State Attorneys Office in Florida confirmed with XXL that they plan to pursue the case again rather than allow Melly to walk free.
After the judge declared a mistrial, Melly’s manager, 100K Track, said his client was getting a “second chance at life.”
“I’m happy with it,” Track said of the mistrial. “It’s not the verdict we would want of course, but it’s a second chance, and I take that literal for everything. It’s a second chance at life, a second chance at a better defense, so I’m excited. I really feel like Melly’s coming home. I’ve felt like that, but this just confirmed it.”
Originally published on: July 22, 2023 at 4:05 PM:
YNW Melly’s double murder trial ended in a mistrial when jurors were unable to reach a unanimous verdict on Saturday.
The jurors deliberated for three days, but couldn’t agree on Melly’s guilt or innocence.
The jury told Broward Circuit Court Judge John Murphy on Friday that they were deadlocked. However, Judge Murphy ordered them to continue deliberations on Saturday.
“We are still unable to reach a unanimous decision,” the jury wrote to the judge on Saturday.
RELATED: Rapper YNW Melly tests positive for coronavirus in jail
YNW Melly (which stands for Young N*gga World Melly) was charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the shooting deaths of his friends, aspiring rappers Christopher Thomas Jr., 19, and Anthony Williams, 21, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on October 26, 2018.
Another man, Cortlen Henry, 20, was also arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder. Henry is awaiting trial in the case.
The victims are pictured below.
(2/2) Demons shot and killed Williams & Thomas Jr. and that Demons and Henry staged the crime scene to resemble a drive-by shooting. pic.twitter.com/EukFxD4OEq
— Miramar Police (@MiramarPD) February 14, 2019
YNW Melly, who was born Jamell Demons, 24, is best known for his songs “Murder on My Mind”, “Mixed Personalities” (featuring Kanye West), and “Suicidal” (featuring Juice WRLD).
The prosecutor will retry the case with a different jury. If found guilty, Melly faces the death penalty.
Watch the video below.
