A deadlocked jury prompted a mistrial Saturday (July 22) within the South Florida trial of rapper YNW Melly on costs that he murdered two of his mates 5 years in the past.
The 12-member panel couldn’t attain a unanimous verdict after three days of deliberations. Broward County prosecutors, who had been looking for the dying penalty, will doubtless select to retry the case with a brand new jury. A unanimous verdict is required to convict or acquit a defendant.
Broward Circuit Decide John Murphy twice requested the jurors to maintain deliberating after they stated they have been deadlocked, however relented after they got here again a 3rd time.
Prosecutors say YNW Melly, whose authorized identify is Jamell Demons, shot Anthony Williams and Christopher Thomas Jr. whereas they have been all inside a Jeep. Williams and Thomas have been each a part of the YNW collective, identified respectively as YNW Sakchaser and YNW Juvy.
Prosecutors stated the taking pictures was a part of a gang motion, whereas protection attorneys stated that declare lacks credibility as a result of Demons and the victims have been shut mates.
In accordance with prosecutors, Demons, Williams and Thomas have been driving in a Jeep pushed by Cortland Henry, referred to as YNW Bortlen, after a recording session in Fort Lauderdale on Oct. 26, 2018. They are saying Demons fatally shot Williams and Thomas. Henry is charged as an confederate within the case and can be tried individually.
After killing Williams and Thomas, prosecutors stated Demons and Henry drove the our bodies to an space close to the Everglades, the place they shot on the again and passenger sides of Henry’s Jeep from the skin to make it seem like Williams and Thomas had been the victims of a drive-by taking pictures.
However prosecutors say ballistics assessments present the pair have been shot from contained in the Jeep.
Protection legal professionals centered on the truth that the gun was by no means recovered. In addition they advised jurors that YNW Melly had no obvious motive for the crime.
YNW Melly had his breakout in 2017 and went on to work with Kanye West on “Combined Personalities,” which was launched in January 2019, a month earlier than Demons, 24, was arrested on homicide costs.
