Jury signals deadlock in YNW Melly murder case

The jury considering the fate of Jamell “YNW Melly” Demons appears to be deadlocked after less than a full day of deliberations in his double murder trial.

Broward Circuit Judge John J. Murphy read the instruction known as an “Allen charge,” which directs jurors to make a concerted effort to reach unanimous agreement to hold off a mistrial. Jurors signaled just after 2 p.m. that they had made up their minds but could not agree on whether Demons is guilty of murdering his former friends Anthony “YNW Sakchaser” Williams and Christopher “YNW Juvy” Thomas in Oct. 2018.

A unanimous verdict is required to convict the defendant or to find him not guilty and set him free.

Prosecutors say Demons, 24, was seated in the back of a Jeep driven by another friend and fellow rapper, Cortland “YNW Bortlen” Henry, when he shot and killed Thomas and Williams without apparent provocation.

Defense lawyers say the defendant and victims were close friends and that Demons had no reason to kill them. No weapon was ever found, and while the jury has not indicated the reason behind the deadlock, it appears to be struggling to convict without those issues resolved.

If the jury is unable to reach a verdict, Murphy will declare a mistrial and the process of trying Demons begins anew, starting with the selection of a new jury and the presentation of the same evidence in the hopes of getting a unanimous result the second time around.

Prosecutors would be able to reconsider whether to pursue the death penalty against Demons, a prominent young rapper who made a name for himself with hits like “Murder on My Mind.” Demons, Henry and the victims were part of what’s known as the “YNW Collective,” a group of rappers who grew up together as friends and worked together.

According to trial testimony and evidence, Demons was upset because the other members of the group were getting money and creative credit that belonged to him, but it was never clear that his grievance amounted to a motive for murder.

This is a developing story, so check back for updates. Click here to have breaking news alerts sent directly to your inbox.