After three days of deliberation, a deadlocked jury has led to a mistrial in rapper’s double murder case JNW MellyRadarOnline.com has learned.
The 22-year-old performer, whose real name is Jamell Demonswas charged with killing two fellow rappers and conspiring to make it look like a drive-by shooting in October 2018.
Prosecutors claimed Demons fired Anthony Williams And Christopher Thomas Jr. in a jeep after a shooting session in Fort Lauderdale.
Williams and Thomas were both members of the YNW collective known as YNW Sakchaser And JNW Juvy, respectively. The prosecution claimed the shooting was part of a gang-related action.
The defense argued that Demons and the victims were close friends and that the claim that it was a gang act lacked credibility.
During the trial, the rapper’s legal team also stressed that the gun used in the shooting was never recovered and that Demons had no clear motive for the crime.
According to TMZthe jury, consisting of 12 members, could not reach a unanimous verdict, which led to the mistrial.
Broward County prosecutors, who had sought the death penalty for Demons, are expected to retry the case with a new jury. In Florida, a unanimous verdict is required to convict or acquit a defendant.
Broward Circuit Judge John Murphy had twice requested the jury to continue deliberating after they reported they were deadlocked. However, he eventually declared a mistrial when they returned a third time without reaching a decision.
After the shooting, the bodies of Williams and Thomas were reportedly driven to an area near the Everglades, where the outside of the Jeep was shot to make it look like they had been the victims of a drive-by shooting. But ballistics tests conducted by the prosecution determined that the victims were shot from inside the vehicle.
Corland Hendrik, known as YNW Bortlen, who drove the jeep during the incident, is accused of complicity in the case. He will be tried separately.
YNW Melly rose to fame in 2017 and gained further recognition through his collaboration with Kanye West on the song Mixed personalitiesreleased in January 2019 – just a month before Demons was arrested on murder charges.
With the mistrial, the outcome of the case remains uncertain. The prosecution will now have to regroup and prepare for a new trial, seeking justice for the families of the victims and possibly a conviction for YNW Melly.