YNW Melly‘s double-murder retrial has finally been given a new date.
Judge Sets New Trial Date in YNW Melly Double-Murder Case
On Monday (July 8), NBC Miami reported that Melly’s double-murder retrial was finally given a date of Sept. 10, 2025. Melly returned to the Broward County court on Monday where Judge Martin Fein announced in a hearing the rapper’s double-murder retrial would officially begin then at 9 a.m. local time. In terms of Melly’s more recent witness tampering case, Judge Fein set a pretrial meeting for Dec. 5, 2024.
YNW Melly, real name Jamell Demons, is accused of murdering Chris “YNW Juvy” Thomas and Anthony “YNW Sakchaser” Williams, two of his childhood friends. The first trial against Melly ended in a mistrial last summer. Williams and Thomas were killed after a late-night recording session in 2018, with Melly accused of allegedly trying to make it look like a drive-by shooting.
When reached for comment, Melly’s attorney Raven Liberty told XXL that the new trial date could change at any time. “At this juncture it is merely a date,” Liberty said. “We await a ruling from the 4th DCA on the suppression motions keeping out the text messages, once the ruling comes back Mr Demons can demand a speedy trial.”
Melly’s mother also hopped on Instagram to confirm the new date, and said she’s “not claiming that.”
“We are gonna trust God on everything like we’ve been doing,” Jamie Demons-King said in her video. “We’re gonna see where it goes. It’s all we can do.”
Read More: YNW Melly’s Attorneys File Motion to Exclude Calls Made to Melly by YNW Bortlen From Trial Evidence
YNW Melly Continues to Sit in Prison
Melly’s retrial was initially set to begin on Oct. 9, 2023, but it was delayed after Melly and YNW Bortlen were hit with an additional charge of witness tampering.
According to a police affidavit obtained by XXL, Terrence Mathis, an inmate accused of contacting YNW Bortlen on behalf of YNW Melly, allegedly referred to Melly’s ex-girlfriend, Mariah Hamilton, as “Rihanna” during multiple phone calls and texts with Bortlen between March and August of 2023. Together they allegedly plotted to keep Hamilton from testifying. The documents specifically mention multiple occasions back in April where Mathis placed three-way messages on Melly’s behalf to Bortlen. In one exchange, Mathis refers to Hamilton as Rihanna.
In January of 2024, Judge John J. Murphy III said the rapper’s retrial would begin on March 5 because of how long Melly had been in custody. However, a new date did not move forward at that time.
Read More: YNW Melly’s Attorneys File Motion to Exclude Calls Made to Melly by YNW Bortlen From Trial Evidence
Watch the judge give YNW Melly’s trial a new date, and watch his mother speak on the new trial date below.
Watch YNW Melly’s Double-Murder Retrial Be Finally Given a New Date
Watch YNW Melly’s Mom Speak on Her Son’s New Trial Date
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