YNW Melly’s request for bail has been denied in Broward County as he awaits his retrial for the shooting deaths of two of his friends, according to the local 10 news.
As we previously reported, the jury wasn’t able to come to a unanimous decision in the case so the Broward Circuit Court Judge John J. Murphy III declared a mistrial on July 22. The deliberation took 3 days and after they weren’t able to reach a decision Murphy thanked the jury for their efforts, saying, “These types of decisions, they’re hard decisions.”
YNW Melly’s case went to trial almost four-and-a-half years after he was taken into custody. If he’s found guilty, the rapper could face the death penalty.
Demons was arrested in 2019 on first-degree murder charges for allegedly shooting two of his childhood friends, Anthony Williams and Christopher Thomas Jr. They were both aspiring rappers with the YNW collective and were respectively known as YNW Sakchaser and YNW Juvy.
The three men were being driven in a Jeep by Cortland Henry, known as YNW Bortlen, after a recording session in Fort Lauderdale on Oct. 26, 2018. Prosecutors allege Demons shot Williams and Thomas. Henry is being charged as an accomplice and will be tried separately, according to NBC News.
Demons and Henry allegedly drove the body to an area near the Everglades, before shooting at the back and passenger seats from the outside to make it look like a drive-by shooting. Prosecutors added that ballistics tests show the shots were fired from inside the car.
Police say Henry drove to the emergency room at Memorial Hospital Miramar asking for help, saying Williams and Thomas had been shot in a drive-by shooting, according to PEOPLE. They were both pronounced dead after suffering multiple gunshot wounds.
RELATED: BREAKING: YNW Melly’s Double Murder Case Has Been Decalres A Mistrial
Broward County prosecutors were seeking the death penalty over the double murder charge held against Demons. They argued that the shooting was part of gang action, while the defense said this claim lacks credibility because Demons and the victims were close friends.
The defense argued that Demons had no motive for the crime and the gun from the shooting was never recovered. Demons pleaded not guilty to the charges.