Is YNW Melly still alive? Death penalty claim and release date speculation
YNW Melly is an American rap artist and singer. He has been part of the rap collective Young New Wave (YNW) since 2016 and has made waves in the hip-hop industry with hits such as I Am You, Murder on My Mind, and Mixed Personalities. Besides music, he hit the headlines when he was arrested in 2019 on suspicion of double murders of his two friends. Is YNW Melly still alive?
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
YNW Melly's career has been on an upward trajectory since he made his music debut in 2014. However, his life has been marred with multiple criminal issues, including the double murder charge against him in February 2019. Is YNW Melly still alive? Find out today.
Profile summary
| Full name | Jamell Maurice Demons |
| Nicknames | YNW Melly, Melvin |
| Gender | Male |
| Date of birth | 1 May 1999 |
| Age | 25 years (as of 2024) |
| Place of birth | Gifford, Florida, United States of America |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | African-American |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Sexuality | Straight |
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) |
| Mother | Jamie Demons-King |
| Siblings | 1 |
| Marital status | Single |
| Education | Vero Beach High School |
| Profession | Rapper, singer, and songwriter |
| @Ynw Melly | |
| YNW Melly's Instagram | @ynwmelly |
Who is YNW Melly?
Jamell Maurice Demons, professionally known as YNW Melly, is a rapper, singer, and songwriter. He rose to fame in 2018 with his single Murder on My Mind from his debut mixtape, I Am You.
Is YNW Melly still alive?
Yes, the famous rapper is still alive. YNW Melly's age is 25 years as of 2024. He was born on 1 May 1999, and his Zodiac sign is Taurus.
Where is YNW Melly from?
The famous rapper was born in Gifford, Florida, United States of America. He is an American by nationality and has African-American ethnicity.
His mother, Jamie Demons-King, gave birth to him at 14 and struggled to raise him alone. Although his biological father is unknown, rapper Donte "Tha Gift" Taylor claims to be his father.
Source: Original
What did YNW Melly do?
Rapper YNW Melly was arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a dangerous weapon in 2015. Following his release in 2016, he adopted the name YNW Melly.
He adopted his new stage name after he formed the hip-hop group YNW with three other rappers. These were Anthony Williams, alias YNW Sakchaser, Christopher Thomas Jr, alias YNW Juvy, and Cortlen Henry, alias YNW Bortlen.
While he was serving a jail term for a 2015 gun shooting in front of three students near Vero Beach High School, he wrote a few songs. This led to the release of his first EP titled Collect Call in 2017.
He violated probation and was later released in 2018. That same year, he became famous for songs like Virtual (Blue Balenciagas) and Butter Pecan. He also released his mixtape I Am You.
The rapper was also jailed for possessing hard substances. While serving his term, he wrote songs like Murder on My Mind, which turned out to be one of his best songs. He collaborated with Kanye West to release Mixed Personalities. In 2019, he was arrested and charged with the murder of two people.
Who did YNW Melly kill?
YNW music group lost two founding members, and YNW Melly was accused of committing the murders. In 2018, YNW Melly's friends, Williams (YNW Sakchaser), Thomas Jr (YNW Juvy), and Cortlen Henry (YNW Bortlen), accompanied him to the studio.
After they left New Era Recording Studio, they were allegedly fired upon. Melly claimed he and Henry, the driver of the jeep escaped the gunfire, but his friends were fatally shot in what seemed like a drive-by shooting.
The police found no evidence supporting Melly's story, discovering a firearm in the vehicle they were using. Allegedly, he had conspired with fellow rapper YNW Bortlen to stage the double-murder of the pair and make it look as though the deceased had been killed in a drive-by shooting.
Autopsy results suggested the victims were shot from the left passenger seat, which was where Melly sat. Following this discovery, a warrant of arrest was put out for him and Henry. On 13 February 2019, he turned himself in. He posted the following on Instagram:
To all my fans and supporters no I did not get locked up in Washington , but I am turning myself in today I want you guys to know I love you and appreciate every single one of y’all, a couple months ago I lost my two brothers by violence and now the system want to find justice.
YNW Melly's trial
The rapper was detained at Broward County Jail in Florida in 2019 to await trial. His first trial was supposed to start on 30 November 2021 but began on 12 June 2023.
In present-day Florida, the death penalty can now be approved by the jury in an 8-4 split rather than a unanimous vote, according to the law. Melly's first trial was declared a mistrial on 22 July 2023 due to a hung jury and unanimous verdict.
On 22 September 2023, Broward Circuit Judge John Murphy refused to grant him bond as he awaited a new trial scheduled for 2 October 2023. YNW Melly's defence attorney, Raven Liberty, argued for case dismissal on October 2023, citing prosecution obstruction.
Meanwhile, the prosecution accused Melly of witness tampering. Amidst delays and accusations, the trial faced controversy as prosecutors sought to introduce Melly's lyrics as evidence, especially on his song Murder on My Mind.
In January 2024, YNW Melly's case trial was also suspended because the judge suppressed a promotional video about Melly's life.
Is YNW Melly out of jail?
The famous rapper is not out of jail yet. YNW Melly's sentence has yet to be given because his trial is yet to be concluded.
In April 2024, an X user named Bryson “Boom” Paul said that the famous rapper had been transferred from Broward County Jail to Paul Rein Detention Facility in Pompano Beach, Florida, to await retrial.
Paul Rein is a medium security prison for adults. The rapper has been detained at Broward County Jail since he surrendered to authorities in February 2019. His codefendant, Cortlen Henry, alias YNWBortlen, remained in detainment at Broward County Jail. He is also awaiting trial.
When is YNW Melly getting out of jail?
YNW Melly's release date is on hold as the court awaits decisions in appeals by the prosecution on Motions to Suppress 1-13. His retrial has been pushed back several times, though not without a series of twists and turns.
The 25-year-old is facing the death penalty. If convicted, his case will be considered under the 8-4 jury vote, the lowest threshold in the country for a death sentence. If not convicted, he will be set free.
In October 2023, the famous rapper, his codefendant, and inmate Terrence Mathis were accused of developing a sophisticated system of code words and fake names. They used them to communicate with people outside the jail.
Those looking for YNW Melly's update should know that his retrial is scheduled to begin on 10 September 2025. His criminal case was transferred from Judge John Murphy’s courtroom after he announced he would retire in August 2024.
What disease does Melly have?
He has bipolar disease, as revealed in his lyrics on Mixed Personalities. Melly was also diagnosed with COVID-19 during the pandemic. This was revealed via his management on Twitter on 2 April 2020.
As a result of this, he pleaded to be released from prison due to his health challenge. The judge denied him the privilege. Before this, the Butter Pecan singer, on 30 July 2023, confessed to living with multiple personality disorder.
Trivia
- YNW Melly's net worth is $500k.
- He joined the Bloods gang at a young age.
- He has cited Chris Brown as one of his biggest musical influences.
- His lyrics often deal with his personal experiences and emotions.
- A documentary about Melly’s life, Melly vs. Melvin, was released in 2020.
Is YNW Melly still alive? This remains a topic of discussion among concerned fans and the music industry. Since he clashed with the law, the rising star has had several restrictions on his music career. Even so, he is still alive and awaiting his retrial in 2025.
Briefly.co.za recently published all the details about Keyona Griffin's death. When Keyona Griffin woke up on 13 March 2019, little did she know that her life was going to take a tragic turn when her bubbly, youthful existence was cut short in a dreadful family massacre.
Her story is one of bravery and despair, marked by a distressing 911 call that failed to save her life. She and her aunt, Cherletta Baber-Bay, were murdered on the same day.
Source: Briefly News
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