YNW Melly’s retrial for a double-murder charge has been delayed again due to an unresolved appeal and a new date has not been set.
YNW Melly will remain behind bars even longer as his double-murder retrial in Broward County, Florida, has been postponed once again because of an unresolved appeal in district court.
The retrial, which was scheduled for September 10, cannot proceed until the appeal is resolved. A new hearing is now set for July 9 to determine when the retrial can begin, according to court officials.
Prosecutors informed the court that the appeal process automatically pauses the retrial, leaving the case in limbo.
The judge urged both sides to push the case forward once the legal roadblock is cleared.
Melly, whose real name is Jamell Demons, has been in custody since his 2019 arrest.
He is accused of killing two of his close friends and fellow YNW collective members—YNW Juvy and YNW Sakchaser—in October 2018 in Miramar, Florida.
Prosecutors allege Melly and co-defendant YNW Bortlen staged the killings to look like a drive-by shooting. Authorities say the victims were shot inside a vehicle and the crime scene was manipulated to mislead investigators.
Both Melly and Bortlen have pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree murder.
The first trial ended in a mistrial in July 2023 after jurors failed to reach a unanimous decision. Reports indicated the jury was split 9-3 in favor of a lesser charge of manslaughter.
Since his arrest, YNW Melly has been denied bond multiple times and remains in custody at the Broward County Jail. If convicted, he faces either life in prison without parole or the death penalty.
Florida law now allows a non-unanimous jury to recommend capital punishment.
The retrial has faced repeated delays due to legal disputes over evidence and the pending appeal. The July 9 hearing will determine the next steps in the case.
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