US EditionWitness tampering charge dropped against rapper YNW Melly; state proceeding with homicide case
Prosecutors dropped the witness tampering charge due to lack of critical evidence but continue to seek conviction for the 2018 double homicide of Melly's childhood friends.
- On Tuesday, January 20, 2026, prosecutors dismissed the witness-tampering charge against Jamell Demons, known as YNW Melly, while the Broward County State Attorney's Office will continue the homicide case and release a memo explaining the decision.
- Because admissibility remained unresolved, Martin Fein deferred ruling on recorded jail calls, which prosecutors said in court filings were 'critical evidence' the case 'cannot go forward' without.
- Authorities allege Jamell Demons shot Christopher 'YNW Juvy' Thomas Jr. and Anthony 'YNW Sakchaser' Williams after an Oct. 26, 2018 Fort Lauderdale recording studio session, and Melly's 2023 trial ended in a mistrial due to a deadlocked jury.
- Jamell Demons still faces two counts of first-degree murder, with a double-murder retrial scheduled next year and the Florida death-penalty option available.
- After years of delays from COVID-19 and death-penalty appeals, defense lawyers Drew Findling and Carey Haughwout criticized the 652-day delay before dropping tampering charges, while co-defendant Cortlen Henry took a plea deal for 10 years.
14 Articles
14 Articles
YNW Melly Witness-Tampering Case Dropped By Prosecutors: Lawyers Vow to Seek His Release
Prosecutors have dropped witness-tampering charges against YNW Melly on the day a trial was set to begin, prompting the rapper’s lawyers to vow renewed efforts to free him from jail after nearly seven years behind bars awaiting a murder trial. The “Murder on My Mind” rapper (born Jamell Maurice Demons) had been scheduled to face jurors in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., this week over claims that he pressured his girlfriend, Mariah Hamilton, not to test…
YNW Melly Avoids One Charge But Remains Jailed Ahead of Retrial
YNW Melly has caught a small break in his ongoing legal battle as prosecutors have dropped a charge accusing him of tampering with a witness. State attorneys confirmed Tuesday that the charge was dismissed, though the Broward County State Attorney’s Office said it is still moving forward with the double homicide case against the rapper. “We are proceeding with the homicide prosecution,” the office said in a statement. The rapper, whose real name…
Witness tampering charge dropped against rapper YNW Melly; state proceeding with homicide case
A tampering with a witness charge has been dropped against rapper YNW Melly, who has been jailed in South Florida since his arrest in connection with the homicides of his two friends.
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