YNW Melly’s Dual Homicide Trial Ends in Deadlock

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The double homicide trial involving rapper YNW Melly concluded in a mistrial as the jury remained indecisive after three days of deliberation, according to The Miami Herald. Despite urging from Broward Circuit Court Judge John J. Murphy III for the jury to continue deliberations on two separate occasions, their inability to unanimously agree on the third day resulted in the judge sanctioning a mistrial. YNW Melly’s status remains neither guilty nor innocent, giving prosecutors a window of 90 days from the original trial to possibly instigate a new one.

Post verdict, Judge Murphy expressed gratitude to the jury for their commitment throughout the prolonged trial. Acknowledging the difficulty of their task, he commended them for their significant time investment and sincere effort to reach a resolution, despite not achieving one.

YNW Melly, accused of first-degree murder charges in the killings of Anthony “YNW Sakchaser” Williams and Christopher “YNW Juvy” Thomas Jr. in October 2018, saw his trial commence in mid-June, more than four years post his arrest. The proceedings, aired live on Law&Crime Network’s YouTube channel, saw Melly display a relaxed demeanor, casually blowing kisses, without the jury present. Jurors were cautioned by Judge Murphy against seeking additional information about the trial.

The prosecution’s case was that YNW Melly murdered Williams and Thomas in a car post their shared time at a Fort Lauderdale recording studio and subsequently, left their bodies at a hospital claiming they were victims of a drive-by shooting. The witness lineup for the prosecution featured Felicia Holmes, whose daughter was in a relationship with Melly at the time of the shooting. Despite Holmes expressing intimidation and fear while testifying, leading to a motion for a mistrial by Melly’s defense, Judge Murphy rejected it. Other testimonies came from a crime lab analyst, a firearms expert, a crime scene supervisor, and a gang specialist detective, who donned a mask for identity protection due to ongoing undercover operations.

Mark Moretti, the key witness for the prosecution and lead detective in the murder case, spent multiple days on the stand analyzing messages and posts attributed to YNW Melly. A critical piece of evidence was an Instagram message from Melly stating “I did that,” perceived as a confession by the prosecution. Despite defense attorneys arguing that Melly’s typical use of slang “dat” rather than “that” indicated he didn’t send the message, the prosecution provided evidence of his occasional use of “that”. Another mistrial request by Melly’s defense in response to Moretti’s testimony was also denied by Judge Murphy.

The prosecution closed its case on Monday, July 17, and Adrian Green, a friend of YNW Melly, was called as the sole witness for the defense the next day. YNW Melly did not testify in his own defense. Another trial involving Cortlen “YNW Bortlen” Henry, who was present in the car during the incident, is expected to occur later in the year.

YNW Melly Accused of Murdering Two Friends: Here’s What Transpired.

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More about YNW Melly Double Homicide Mistrial

• [YNW Melly Murder Trial]
• [YNW Melly’s Case Overview]
• [Legal Proceedings in YNW Melly’s Case]
• [Details of YNW Melly’s Trial]
• [YNW Melly: From Fame to Accusations]
• [Anthony “YNW Sakchaser” Williams and Christopher “YNW Juvy” Thomas Jr. Case]