FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Rapper YNW Melly, currently awaiting a retrial on double murder charges in Broward County, now has a decision to make about his legal team after it was revealed that one of his attorneys is under investigation.
The rapper, whose real name is Jamell Demons, appeared in a Fort Lauderdale courtroom at a hearing Monday.
Demons, 25, appeared in a red jail jumpsuit. But the focus of the hearing was on one of his attorneys, Raven Liberty.
Liberty is currently under investigation by the Broward Sheriff’s Office for allegations of witness tampering. She has not been charged with anything at the moment and was not present in court Monday due to a flight delay.
Demons’ defense team said they need to know the extent of the BSO investigation and said the rapper hasn’t even seen Liberty in person for more than a year.
His attorneys said they can’t go forward as a defense team until they talk to Demons and see whether he wants to keep Liberty and the rest of his legal team.
Demons has been in jail for nearly six years, accused of murdering his childhood friends Chris Thomas and Anthony Williams following a late-night recording in 2018 and allegedly covering it up to make it look like the drive-by shooting.
His first double-murder trial ended in a mistrial in 2023.
Another hearing is set for Tuesday morning and Demons’ retrial is scheduled for September.