Years after the shocking allegations first came out, YNW Melly still sits behind bars awaiting his fate.
The rapper best known for his association with Kanye West is the defendant in a case that saw his trajectory as a rising star come to a crashing halt in 2019.
Is Rapper YNW Melly Guilty For Killing Two of His Friends?
In February that year, the state of Florida charged Melly and an accomplice with some shocking crimes.
He was alleged to have taken the lives of two of his own friends.
The tragic incident had occurred the previous year.
CTV News reported that two other aspiring rappers had passed away in October 2018.
The report described the two men, 21-year-old Anthony Williams and 19-year-old Chitopher Thomas, as being “riddled with gunshot wounds”.
They both passed away after being rushed by a friend to a hospital emergency room.
Both were members of the YNW rap group that Melly also belonged to.
YNW Melly Said, ‘They Took My Brothers Over Jealousy’
Following the news, Melly publicly grieved for his fellow group members’ tragic passing.
He wrote on Instagram, “They took my brothers over jealousy”, before going on to add, “I know y’all watching over me.”
But despite appearing to show his horror at what had happened, a few months later he was arrested on suspicion of being responsible for the crime.
RELATED: Tiffany Haddish Arrested for DUI After Falling Asleep at The Wheel
Melly, whose real name is Jamell Demons, was 19 years old when police first took him in.
YNW Melly’s Promising Rap Career May Be Over
The arrest brought to a grinding halt what was looking to be an incredibly promising rap career.
CNN reported that he had just started a concert tour across the US. During a previous incarceration, he had released the Collect Call EP, featuring collabs with artists such as Lil B.
Music videos for three of his singles went viral, quickly attracting tens of millions of views.
The following year saw his stock rise even higher.
He released his debut mixtape, I Am You, which reached the Billboard 200, and drew the attention of some of the world’s biggest stars.
At the start of 2019, just before his world started to collapse, Melly got the opportunity to work with his alleged idol, Kanye.
Their song, Mixed Personalities, racked up over 17 million views, and went on to become twice certified platinum in the US.
But by the time of its release, Melly was already in jail.
What YNW Melly Said About the Murders of His Friends
Police alleged that Melly had fatally shot his friends in a premeditated attack before staging the crime scene to look like a drive-by shooting.
Melly addressed the police statements in a message to his Instagram following.
He began by writing, “I want you guys to know I love you and appreciate every single one of y’all.”
He then went on to give his side of the story.
He wrote, “[A] couple of months ago I lost my two brothers by violence and now the system wants to find justice.”
He continued, “unfortunately a lot of rumors and lies are being said but no worries, God is with me and my brother”, in reference to the other friend who was arrested alongside Melly.
The caption concluded with the hashtag #freeus.
Court records showed that Melly was given no bond, and the zigs and zags of his legal process since then have kept him in jail for years now.
YNW Melly’s Multiple Arrests
Melly had been in jail several times already before he had even reached twenty years of age.
RELATED: The Dark Truth Behind this Diddy Event
This included arrests for aggravated assault and substance possession.
RELATED: Darius Rucker Arrested on Drug Charges
Melly sat in jail for around three years, his trial being due to take place in March 2022.
However, a string of delays and resets saw the date pushed back to June.
His lawyers submitted a speedy trial request to force through Melly’s day in court.
YNW Melly’s Alleged Plan to Escape Jail
While awaiting trial, Complex reported that the rapper was alleged to have planned an escape.
It was claimed that the Sheriff’s Office received a “confidential tip” that Melly and his friend planned to have their attorney bring them two handcuff keys.
The source also allegedly told officers that the pair were hiding a weapon in one of their cells, which was later confirmed to be true.
However, no key was ever found.
Is YNW Melly Facing the Death Penalty?
Despite initially being told that he had no chance of facing capital punishment, the decision was later overturned, leaving the death penalty a possibility if Melly’s found guilty.
Even after the trial began, more bizarre delays stretched the process out even further.
AOL reported that the trial was halted after one of the defense attorneys became ill during a lunch break.
But the drama was far from over.
Prosecutors showed the jury evidence in the form of video footage which showed that Melly had lied about his friends passing away in a drive-by shooting.
The evidence showed that the fatal shots were fired from inside the car where the victims were sitting.
Despite this huge breakthrough, the jurors were unable to come to a verdict, and a mistrial was declared.
Why Was Melly’s Bond Denied?
A new trial was set, but Melly was once again denied bond.
The new trial was then put on hold just this year.
In January, prosecutors filed an appeal after the judge blocked a documentary about Melly from being used as evidence.
The rollercoaster ride of a trial is the reason why Melly is still awaiting his verdict.
No matter what the court decides, however, it seems unlikely that Melly will ever again return to the stratospheric trajectory he seemed destined for.
