YNW Melly, a Gold and Platinum-level rapper, is currently in the custody of the Broward County Prison in Florida. The rapper was charged with two counts of premeditated (first-degree) murder.
Born in May 1999, named Jamell Maurice Demons, the 24-year-old rapper has had previous entanglements with the law. In 2015, Demons was arrested and charged with three counts of aggravated assault near Vero Beach High School in Florida. Demons spent a year in jail and was then released on probation. While he was on probation, he was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana, possession of a weapon or ammunition by a convicted felon, and drug paraphernalia. Demons was arrested in June of 2018 for said charges. Amid these charges, Demons was also suspected in the murder of a Guilford County sheriff. Pleading not guilty, Demons was eventually released on parole until October 2023, after what was determined a mistrial. This trial was around the time that his violent, but popular, song “Murder on My Mind” was released. The song’s release offered some support for Melly’s conviction, with lyrics such as “I didn’t even mean to shoot him, he just caught me by surprise,” said by the rapper. However, the song’s lyrics are not available as evidence in his trial.
His current trial is a stickier scenario. As previously mentioned, Demons has been charged with two charges of first-degree murder. If convicted, the rapper faces the threat of a life sentence without parole, or even the death sentence. Demons has claimed on social media posts that he is innocent, which does not align with the evidence. Unfortunately for the rapper, both forensic and video evidence have been discovered that proves Demons to be the murderer. Demons said that the shooting was a drive-by and that he and a friend, Cortlen Henry, found the bodies and took them to the hospital. Evidence shows otherwise; the prosecution claims that the bodies were shot inside the car and then stationed outside to appear as if a drive-by had occurred. In either story, Demons and Henry drove the bodies to a nearby hospital where the two victims were pronounced dead. The rest of the trial is scheduled for October 2nd, 2023. YNW Melly will remain in custody until his trial and eventual conviction or release.