Trial of YNW Melly
| Florida v. Demons | |
|---|---|
 Case Number 19001872CF10A | |
| Court | 17th Judicial Circuit in and for Broward County, Florida |
| Full case name | The State of Florida v. Jamell Demons |
| Submitted | February 13, 2019 |
| Started | June 12, 2023 |
| Charge |
|
| Prosecution | Kristine Bradley |
| Defense | David A. Howard |
| Court membership | |
| Judge sitting | John J. Murphy III |
The State of Florida v. Jamell Demons is an ongoing American criminal case in Florida's 17th Judicial Circuit in which rapper Jamell Demons, commonly known by his stage name YNW Melly, is charged with murdering his two friends, Anthony D'Andre Williams (YNW Sakchaser) and Christopher Jermaine Thomas Jr. (YNW Juvy) in October 2018. If convicted, he faces either life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty. If Demons is convicted, he will be one of the first defendants to be sentenced under Governor Ron DeSantis's new non-unanimous death sentence law, in which the jury will only need to have at least eight out of twelve jurors agree to recommend the death penalty rather than it being unanimous.[1][2]
The case gained massive public interest due to Demons' most popular single being "Murder on My Mind", a rap song in which Demons discusses hypothetical homicidal ideation.[3]
Background
In October 2018, Demons and his friends Anthony D'Andre Williams (YNW Sakchaser), Christopher Thomas Jr. (YNW Juvy), and Cortlen Malik Henry (YNW Bortlen) were at a home owned by a local rapper to appear in a music video. Williams and Thomas were later driven to the hospital by Henry after being shot dead in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in what Demons and Henry claimed was a drive-by shooting. The four rappers were to appear in a music video by another local rapper the following afternoon. Demons and Henry appeared in it.
Arrests and charges
Following a grand jury indictment of Demons and Henry for the murders, Demons and Henry were arrested on February 13, 2019 and charged with the premeditated first-degree murders of Williams and Thomas. Demons pleaded not guilty.[4][5][6]
Trial
Jury selection for the trial of Demons started on April 11, 2023. The trial began on June 12, 2023. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.[7][8][9][10][11]
Opening statements
Both the prosecution and defense gave opening statements on June 12, 2023.
Prosecution
Prosecutor Kristine Bradley gave the state's opening statement. She stated that Demons and Henry murdered their two friends, Anthony Williams and Christopher Thomas and attempted to stage it as a drive-by shooting. She claimed that Demons confessed to murdering Williams and Thomas when he stated on Instagram direct messages in response to a question about their deaths, "I did that. Shh."
Defense
Defense attorney David A. Howard stated that there was no motive for Demons to murder his friends, and that the state's case is "riddled" with reasonable doubt. He went on to discuss his perspective of the murder investigation, "And, if after four years of investigation, the state comes and says, 'Hey, he killed two of his best friends.' And you're wondering why, and their answer is, 'Uh, I dunno.' That's the first indication that they're just guessing and don't know what they're talking about. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is, by itself, reasonable doubt."[12][13]
References
- ^ "Gov. Ron DeSantis has made it easier to impose the death penalty in Florida". NPR. 2023-04-27. Archived from the original on 2023-06-12.
- ^ Mazzei, Patricia (2023-04-20). "DeSantis Signs Law Lowering Death Penalty Threshold in Florida". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2023-06-05. Retrieved 2023-06-12.
- ^ "YNW Melly's "Murder On My Mind" Nabs No. 1 Spot On Apple Music Amid Murder Charges". HipHopDX. February 16, 2019. Archived from the original on February 17, 2019. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
- ^ "- Broward County Clerk of Courts". www.browardclerk.org. Retrieved 2023-06-12.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Inmate Detail". apps.sheriff.org. Archived from the original on 2023-04-17. Retrieved 2023-06-12.
- ^ Moore, Mary (2019-02-14). "Grand jury indictment: YNW Melly fired the gun, killing the friends he grew up with". TCPalm. Archived from the original on 2023-06-18.
- ^ Gallagher, Alex (November 11, 2022). "YNW Melly potentially facing death penalty if convicted after new appeals court ruling". NME. Archived from the original on April 17, 2023. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
- ^ Strauss, Matthew (November 10, 2022). "YNW Melly Potentially Facing Death Penalty After Appeals Court Ruling". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on April 11, 2023. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
- ^ Donahue, Bill (2022-11-10). "YNW Melly Could Face Death Penalty After Florida Appeals Court Sides With Prosecutors". Billboard. Archived from the original on 2022-11-10. Retrieved 2022-11-10.
- ^ Price, Joe (November 10, 2022). "YNW Melly Might Face Death Penalty If Convicted Following Appeals Court Decision". Complex. Archived from the original on April 11, 2023. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
- ^ Helfand, Raphael (November 11, 2022). "YNW Melly facing potential death penalty following new ruling". The Fader. Archived from the original on April 17, 2023. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
- ^ Kalmbacher, Colin (2023-06-12). "Prosecutor claims YNW Melly admitted to killing 2 of his friends in an Instagram direct message – defense mocks law enforcement in opening statements". Law & Crime. Archived from the original on 2023-06-12. Retrieved 2023-06-12.
- ^ "Trial begins for rapper YNW Melly in 2018 double murder in Miramar". NBC 6 South Florida. 2023-06-12. Archived from the original on 2023-06-13. Retrieved 2023-06-12.