FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Rapper YNW Melly was back before a Broward County judge on Thursday as he seeks to get bond ahead of his retrial for a double murder case that is set for 2027.
Attorneys for the rapper, whose real name is Jamell Demons, highlighted that the 26-year-old has been in jail for seven years and hasn’t been convicted.
Demons is accused of murdering his childhood friends Christopher Thomas and Anthony Williams in October 2018 after a late-night recording session and then making it look like a drive-by shooting.
His first trial ended in a mistrial in 2023 after the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict. That trial included allegations of witness tampering.
Thursday’s hearing included testimony from the rapper’s family members and a Broward Sheriff’s Office detention officer, Maj. Kevin Corbett, regarding the rapper’s living conditions while in custody, which include no access to a phone.
The BSO detention officer testified as to Demons’ recreational opportunities, stating he gets outside exercise three times per week.
Demons’ attorneys brought in a security expert to testify, the home will have the cameras it needs to monitor all of his moves in a home in Broward County that they are proposing he will stay at.
They also claimed that the rapper could have psychological breakdowns because he’s alone in solitary confinement. Prosecutors countered that Demons has an open dorm to himself, with a shower, TV and a basketball court and can also see a psychologist.
They even had Corbett read a letter they said Demons wrote from jail.
“They moved me to another jail; it’s way better,” Corbett testified that Demons wrote. “Here I get a whole unit to myself. I’m out all day,and I got a rec yard, personal indoor basketball court, all to myself. It’s like a mansion. They treat me way better here.”
A judge will determine if he can be released on bond or remain in custody as he awaits retrial.
The judge didn’t say when he’ll make a decision.
Copyright 2026 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.
