When Is YNW Melly Release Date and Is He Still in Jail?

May 2024 · 6 minute read

There is no official release date for YNW Melly yet, but the judge is expected to make a decision over that soon enough, reportedly in October 2023. He is still in jail, awaiting trial for two counts of premeditated murder.

YNW Melly is a 24-year-old American rapper and singer whose real name is Jamell Maurice Demons. He is popular for his sit songs Murder On My Mind and Mixed Personality. Melly was on 13 February 2019 apprehended for the murder of his two close friends and YNW associates, YNW Juvy and YNW Sakchaser. Here are some facts you need to know about the charges leveled against him.

YNW Melly’s Case

Besides the popularity he gained as a musician, YNW Melly has since 2019 made headlines for the wrong reasons. He was charged with premeditated first-degree murder, which has to do with his close friends. On 13 October 2019, YNW Melly took to his Instagram and announced that he would be giving himself to the police for the murder of his two friends, YNW Juvy and YNW Sakchaser.

This happened to be a day after he was charged with the murder. Meanwhile, he was not the only one the police arrested. Cortlen Henry (YNW Bortlen) was also arrested for assisting him in the murder of their friends. YNW Melly’s case has indeed taken years to come to a final decision, but the only thing we can do is wait to see the outcome, hoping it will be soon.

Why Did YNW Melly Kill His Friends?

Melly claims to be innocent of the accusation that he killed his friends, so the reason behind their deaths is yet to be ascertained. The major charge against YNW Melly is killing YNW Juvy and YNW Sakchaser. It all started on 26 February 2018 when Anthony Williams, a.k.a YNW Sakchaser, 21, and Christopher Thomas Jr., a.k.a YNW Juvy, 19, were rushed to Memorial Hospital Miramar, Florida, by Cortlen Henry at about 4:15 am.

According to the report made by the police, they were both shot by a drive-by shooter. Sakchaser and Juvy were confirmed dead on arrival by the hospital, as they couldn’t survive the wounds they sustained from the gunshots. The two victims were YNW associates and also Melly’s friends. When the news of their death started making rounds, YNW Melly took to his Instagram to grieve and mourn them.

In the caption of his post, he said that those who killed his two friends just wanted to get at him because they were jealous and looking for a way to break him. However, the story changed one year after the incident, precisely on 12 October 2019, when the police charged YNW Melly for the death of the two people in question; Anthony Williams and Christopher Thomas.

Is YNW Melly Still in Jail or Free?

YNW Melly is still in jail and not free; he is yet to face a second trial. He has been in prison since 13 February 2019, when he voluntarily gave himself to the police after they declared him wanted for the murder of his two friends. He is being held at Broward County Jail in Florida. Melly has, however, been pleading not guilty, claiming that he doesn’t know anything concerning the death of the two young men.

However, the prosecutors believe that he and his friend Cortlen planned the shooting together and staged it to look like a drive-by shooting. While he remains in prison, Melly once complained and expressed his fear for his life as there were two guards who always threatened to beat him up and isolate him from other inmates. Also, his mother, Jamie Demons-King, alleged that his phone privileges had since been revoked, making communicating with him very difficult for her.

How Long is YNW Melly Still in Jail For?

It is not known how long Melly still has to stay in jail despite the many attempts and pleadings he has made to be released. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he said that he had contracted the pandemic and went ahead to file an application through his lawyers for pre-trial release. In his application, he claimed to be suffering from chills, body aches, and breathing difficulties and that the authorities weren’t making any attempt to help him recover.

Furthermore, Melly noted that the jail doesn’t have the ability to take care of him if the symptoms were to get worse. Sadly, his pleas were denied, and he was asked to receive his treatments from the health personnel provided by the prison authorities. Meanwhile, the family members of the alleged victims sympathized with him but outrightly opposed his release.

YNW Melly’s Release Date

As earlier stated, there is yet no official release date for YNW Melly. But, his next trial is scheduled to commence in October 2023. He could have been released in September 2023 but his bond application was rejected by the court. Fans have always been eager to know what will be the outcome of YNW Melly’s case and hope that he will eventually be released, but from what can be seen, the legal system is not in a hurry to handle his case.

He was first set to face trial on 30th November 2021 but it was shifted to 7th March 2022. It still did not hold on the said date but was moved to 23rd May 2022. Yet again, the trial date was further moved to 6th July 2022. At the end of the day, a mistrial was declared on July 22, 2023 as the jury could not come to a unanimous decision, hence the reason Melly is awaiting a retrial.

There are also questions on whether he will be facing the death penalty but until the Florida Supreme Court says so, we cannot state that for a fact. However, considering that the charge against him is that of a capital crime, and usually, capital crimes like first-degree murders are passed capital penalties like an execution, he would probably face capital punishment if found guilty. Regardless, his lawyers seem to be trying their best to save him from that if he is eventually found guilty.

YNW Melly’s Mugshot

Frequently Asked Questions

Was YNW Melly Given a Death Penalty?

YNW Melly may be facing the death penalty if found guilty but for now, the court has not said so.

How is YNW Melly still making music despite being in jail?

YNW  Melly has found ways to still be making music despite being incarcerated. It is notable that the music he had dropped while in jail was all recorded before he was locked up. Meanwhile, it is also worth noting that one can make music in prison by singing on the phone and having the person behind the phone record it. This is, however, for inmates that have phone privilege.

Melly’s two albums Melly vs. Melvin (2019) and Just a Matter of Slime (2021) were all released while he was in jail.

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