Broward Circuit Judge John Murphy announced a mistrial on Saturday after the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict on the double murder charges against YNW Melly. The trial lasted 19 days.
On the morning of October 26, 2018, in Broward County, Florida, Cortland “Bortland” Henry, another defendant awaiting trial, was driving a Jeep Compass in which Jamel “Melly” Demons is accused of shooting and killing Christopher “Juvy” Thomas Jr. and Anthony “Sakchaser” Williams.
It was reported by Henry that Thomas and Williams were killed in a drive-by shooting. The prosecution blamed Thomas and Williams’ deaths on Demons, and Henry was charged with aiding in the cover-up. The defense claimed the demons were innocent bystanders.
“Everyone is stuck on which side they have chosen,” the jury’s foreperson reportedly wrote, as reported by Murphy.
Murphy requested that the jury continue deliberations to reach a decision. Shortly after 2:45 p.m., he gave them a break. Murphy warned the jury that he would have to declare a mistrial and dismiss them if their attempt failed.
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After nearly two hours of testimony, the jury asked to view the CCTV footage the prosecution had presented as evidence that the Jeep Compass was in motion.
Thomas, 19, and Williams, 21, were last seen alive on surveillance footage at 3:20 a.m. when they entered a Jeep Compass driven by Demons and Henry outside the New Era Recording Studio located at 805 NE 4 Ave. Prosecutors and investigators say that at around 4:35 a.m., Henry visited the emergency room of Memorial Hospital Miramar at 1701 SW 172 Ave. with both victims.
A detective and some experts testified for the prosecution, contradicting Henry’s findings. Henry claimed they were shot in a drive-by on Miramar Parkway, but the experts’ assessments of the bullet’s trajectory and the victims’ wounds disproved this.
Prosecutors accused Demons and Henry of faking a drive-by shooting in an isolated spot near the end of Pembroke Road, based partly on cell phone data that the defense argued had not been adequately checked.
On February 7, 2019, a grand jury indicted Demons, and on February 13, 2019, he turned himself into the Broward Sheriff’s Office. Since then, deputies have been holding him without bond. On June 12, opening statements were made at his trial. The concluding arguments came on Thursday after 16 days of testimony.
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