YNW Melly’s retrial for double murder faces a significant pause as prosecutors challenge a judge’s evidence ruling.
YNW Melly’s trial has been an epic, multifaceted legal saga, and in the latest development, the rapper’s double murder retrial has been put on hold indefinitely.
The pause comes as prosecutors have decided to appeal a judge’s order suppressing a controversial 20-minute video about his life, which has been barred from being shown to future jurors, who must decided if he is guilty of double murder charges.
YNW Melly’s lawyer argued that a specific part of a promotional or documentary video prosecutors wanted to use as evidence in the trial should be tossed. The part is a 14-second clip that shows the text: “Four days after this film was finished, YNW Melly and his friends were attacked in a drive-by shooting in Miami, Florida. YNW Juvi and YNW Sakchaser died.”
In this part of the video, YNW Melly can be seen in the background. His lawyer argued that this video clip should not be used in court because the text is considered hearsay and double hearsay, it’s not something YNW Melly said, and it’s not relevant to the case.
However, the State believes that this clip can be used as evidence because it is an “adoptive admission,” a type of statement that can be an exception to the hearsay rule, according to a Florida Statute. But Judge John Murphy III ruled in favor of YNW Melly.
“While this short video focuses on Defendant’s life jt is mere speculation to guess who decided to add the text statement. It could have been the director, the producer, an editor, [YNW Melly], or any number of people. Thus, without knowing the source of the comment, it holds no evidentiary value.”
YNW Melly’s legal quandary stems from the October 2018 deaths of Anthony Williams (YNW Sakchaser) and Christopher Thomas Jr. (YNW Juvy), two friends and associates of Melly in the YNW (Young N#### World) collective.
The case against YNW Melly alleges that he and another YNW member, Cortlen Henry (YNW Bortlen), staged the double homicide to resemble a drive-by shooting.
According to authorities, after shooting Williams and Thomas, Melly and Henry drove around with the bodies for an extended period before taking them to the hospital, where they were pronounced dead.
The case has seen many twists and turns, including witness tampering charges, a mistrial due to a deadlocked jury, and a reshuffling of the prosecution team.
YNW Melly’s initial trial began in June, with the prosecution presenting various pieces of evidence, including a text message allegedly from Melly confessing to the murders.
Despite this, the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict, leading to a mistrial in July.
A juror later claimed that the jury was manipulated into this mistrial, with allegations of one juror being particularly obstructive and causing chaos in the deliberation process.
Following the mistrial, prosecutors prepared for a retrial, with jury selection beginning anew in October. However, the defense team successfully argued for removing the lead prosecutor, Kristine Bradley, citing prosecutorial misconduct.
This led to the appointment of a new prosecutor, Alixandra Buckelew, who requested additional time to familiarize herself with the case.
The defense has consistently argued for Melly’s innocence, even as the prosecution has sought to paint a picture of a calculated murder disguised as a drive-by shooting.
YNW Melly, who faces the death penalty if convicted, remains in custody. His legal team has also filed a motion for a bond hearing, citing the judge’s decision to grant bond to his co-defendant, YNW Bortlen.
