INVALID CASE: The prosecution asked for the death penalty against rapper YNW Melly. Photo: Amy Beth Bennett/Polaris
Prosecutors believe rapper YNW Melly killed two of his friends. The jury was unable to agree on a verdict.
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Jamell Demons, better known as YNW Melly, is charged with murder in Florida.
Prosecutors believe Demons shot Anthony Williams and Christopher Thomas Jr, while they were all inside a Jeep. Williams and Thomas were also rappers who were part of the YNW collective.
According to prosecutors, the shooting was part of a gang action, while Demons’ lawyers say the claim lacks credibility because Demons and the deceased were close friends.
The incident took place on October 26, 2018. Prosecutors say the trio plus one other man drove away after a recording session. Then the Demons should have shot Williams and Thomas. The fourth man, Cortland Henry, is charged as an accomplice in the case.
Prosecutors believe Demons and Henry drove the bodies to an area near the Everglades. Here they are said to have shot at the back and passenger side of the car. That to make the whole thing look like a gang shooting.
However, investigations will show that the duo was shot from inside the jeep, writes the news agency AP.
The gun used was never found.
In recent weeks, the trial against the rapper has been ongoing. On Saturday evening Norwegian time, the trial was declared invalid because the jury of twelve people could not agree on a verdict.
A unanimous verdict is required to convict or acquit a defendant in the United States.
Broward County prosecutors, who sought the death penalty against Demons, will likely retry the case with a new jury, according to the AP.
Judge John Murphy twice asked jurors to continue deliberating after they said they were deadlocked, but gave up after inconclusively a third time.
YNW Melly broke through in 2017, and has, among other things, worked with Kanye West. He has several famous songs, but the biggest one is called “Murder On My Mind”. The song has over 900 million plays on Spotify.
The song was released in March 2017, i.e. a good while before the murders of Williams and Thomas. The song is said not to have been used in the trial against the Demons.
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Published: 23.07.23 at 14:02
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2023-07-23 12:02:37
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