It’s time for YNW Melly to face a jury, a Broward judge has ruled.
Not for the two murders that have him facing the possibility of a death sentence, but for allegedly trying to manipulate behind the scenes to block witnesses from telling a jury and investigators what they know about the rising star and the fellow rappers he’s accused of killing.
Broward Circuit Judge Martin Fein set a trial date of Jan. 21, 2026, for the counts of witness tampering and related charges filed by prosecutors three years ago against Jamell Demons, who performs under the stage name YNW Melly.
Three months ago, Melly’s co-defendant, Cortlen Henry, pleaded no contest to two counts of accessory after the fact in the murder case and to related witness tampering charges. Henry is serving a 10-year prison sentence.
At the time the tampering charges were filed, prosecutors released a probable cause affidavit describing how Melly, Henry and Broward jail inmate Terrence Mathis collaborated during Melly’s first murder trial in the summer of 2023. According to that document, Melly, who was — and remains — in custody at the Broward Main Jail, relayed messages to Henry through Mathis, instructing Henry to talk Melly’s girlfriend out of giving a sworn statement or testifying.
Investigators believe that Mathis and Melly are fellow members of an offshoot of the Bloods street gang.
Investigators at trial said Melly’s connections with the Bloods may offer some indication of a motive in the October 2018 murders of Christopher “YNW Juvy” Thomas and Anthony “YNW Sakchaser” Williams, childhood friends of Melly and Henry and fellow members of a rap collective that was growing in popularity at the time.
The four left a Fort Lauderdale recording studio in the pre-dawn hours of Oct. 26, 2018, in a Jeep driven by Henry. According to testimony in the 2023 murder trial, Thomas and Williams were shot to death in Miramar by someone sitting behind the Jeep’s driver. Surveillance video from outside the recording studio showed Melly taking that seat.
Melly’s lawyers argued that enough time passed between the recording of the surveillance video in one city and the shooting in another for Melly to have left and someone else to have committed the crime. Melly has maintained his innocence but did not take the stand during his summer 2023 trial, which ended with a hung jury.
The retrial on the murder case is scheduled to start with jury selection in January 2027, but the tampering case will be decided beforehand. A conviction in the tampering case would make it easier for prosecutors to introduce related evidence in the murder case, according to defense lawyers.
Rafael Olmeda can be reached at rolmeda@sunsentinel.com or 954-356-4457.
