Is YNW Melly Still Alive? Death Rumor, Mistrial, and Bond

YNW Melly is still alive. The Florida rapper, whose legal name is Jamell Maurice Demons, has been held in the Broward County Jail since February 2019 and is awaiting a retrial on two counts of first-degree murder scheduled to begin January 6, 2027. Reports claiming he was killed in jail are hoaxes that have circulated on and off since 2019.

Where the Death Rumor Came From

The original story appeared online in December 2019 and claimed Melly had been stabbed to death behind bars. It was fabricated on prank news generator sites, specifically Channel 45 News and NSFNews, which let users create fake headlines. Sites including DeadDeath and Market News then republished the invented reports as if they were real.¹

Melly’s mother, Jamie Demons, posted an Instagram video saying she had just spoken with her son and that he was unharmed. Snopes rated the claim false.¹ Similar rumors have resurfaced since, helped along by the length of his pretrial detention and the gravity of the charges.

Why He’s Been in Jail Since 2019

Melly was arrested on February 13, 2019, and charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the shooting deaths of two friends and fellow rappers. Anthony Williams, 21, known as YNW Sakchaser, and Christopher Thomas Jr., 19, known as YNW Juvy, were killed on October 26, 2018, after the group left a Fort Lauderdale recording studio.²

Prosecutors allege Melly shot both men and that co-defendant Cortlen Henry, known as YNW Bortlen, then drove the bodies to a Miramar hospital and told police the group had been attacked on Interstate 75.³ Court filings in a related wrongful death suit alleged the motive was money, specifically the prospect of splitting revenue from the YNW brand among fewer people.²

Melly has pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.⁴

The First Trial Ended in a Mistrial

Melly’s first trial ran in the summer of 2023 at the Broward County Circuit Court before Judge John Murphy. It was one of the first Florida cases tried under a law signed by Governor Ron DeSantis that lowered the threshold for a death sentence recommendation from a unanimous jury vote to 8-4.²

After 19 days of arguments and two days of deliberation, the jury deadlocked. Judge Murphy issued an Allen charge urging jurors to continue, but they remained split, and he declared a mistrial.⁵⁶

What’s Happened Since

The retrial has been delayed repeatedly. In early 2024, Judge Murphy suppressed a 20-minute promotional documentary about Melly’s life as hearsay. The prosecution appealed, and the Fourth District Court of Appeals granted a stay that scuttled a trial expected in September 2025.⁷ The case was reassigned to Judge Martin S. Fein, who set the retrial for January 6, 2027.⁸

Several developments have reshaped the case going into that retrial:

On January 20, 2026, prosecutors dropped four charges against Melly, including witness tampering, directing activities of a criminal gang, criminal solicitation to commit murder, and conspiracy to tamper with a witness on a capital felony.⁹
In May 2025, Judge Murphy removed lead prosecutor Kristine Bradley from the case, and the State Attorney’s Office began picking new counsel.¹⁰
In September 2025, Melly replaced his entire defense team after a Broward Sheriff’s Office investigation into former lead attorney Raven Liberty for alleged witness tampering created a conflict. The court approved the substitution on September 24, 2025. His new attorneys are Drew Findling, an Atlanta-based defense attorney known for representing hip-hop artists, and Carey Haughwout, a Florida attorney who served as Palm Beach County’s public defender for over two decades.¹¹¹²
On September 9, 2025, co-defendant Cortlen Henry pleaded no contest to two counts of accessory after the fact. The murder charges against him were dropped. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison with credit for time served, followed by six years of probation. The deal requires Henry to give a sworn statement about his role, though his attorney told the court that Henry would not cooperate or testify at Melly’s trial.¹³¹⁴

Bond and Jail Conditions

Melly has repeatedly asked to be released before trial. His most recent bond hearing was on April 30, 2026, before Judge Fein. His defense argued he had been held for seven years without a conviction and proposed 24-hour supervision, restricted movement, no social media access, and residence at a family home in Broward County.¹⁵ Prosecutors opposed the request, and the judge deferred ruling.¹⁶

His conditions of confinement have been disputed. In November 2024, attorney Michael Pizzi Jr. filed a federal lawsuit against the Broward Sheriff’s Office alleging Melly had been held in “debilitating isolation,” with restrictions on family visits and communication with counsel.¹⁷ That suit was later dismissed.¹⁸ At the April 2026 hearing, prosecutors presented testimony that Melly occupies an open dorm unit by himself with access to a shower, TV, basketball court, and psychological services.¹⁹ Findling and Haughwout have publicly called the conditions “inhumane.”²⁰

Where Things Stand

As of mid-2026, Melly is in the custody of the Broward Sheriff’s Office, where he has been held for over seven years. He still faces two counts of first-degree murder, and prosecutors are still seeking the death penalty.⁹ The retrial is set for January 6, 2027, before Judge Fein in Fort Lauderdale. If convicted, he faces life without parole or the death penalty.²¹

1
Snopes. YNW Melly Stabbed to Death in Prison
2
Miami Herald. YNW Melly Double Murder Case
3
TC Palm. Anthony Williams, Christopher Thomas Jr. Shootings Three Years Later
4
NBC Miami. Trial Begins for Rapper YNW Melly in 2018 Double Murder in Miramar
5
Miami Herald. YNW Melly Murder Trial Mistrial
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Deadline. Rapper YNW Melly Double Murder Trial Declared a Mistrial
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NBC Miami. Rapper YNW Melly’s Retrial in Double Murder Case Pushed Back to 2027
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NBC Miami. YNW Melly Judge Sets Date for Rapper’s Double Murder Retrial
9
NBC Miami. Prosecutors in Broward Drop Tampering Charges Against Rapper YNW Melly
10
Miami Herald. YNW Melly Murder Case Prosecutor Removed
11
NBC Miami. Judge Grants Rapper YNW Melly’s Request to Replace Legal Team
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Billboard. YNW Melly Fires Defense Lawyers, Murder Trial Postponed
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NBC Miami. Alleged Accomplice of Rapper YNW Melly in Broward Double Murder Takes Plea Deal
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Miami Herald. YNW Melly Co-Defendant Plea Deal
15
NBC Miami. Rapper YNW Melly to Request Bond Again Ahead of January 2027 Trial
16
TC Palm. YNW Melly Bond Request Ruling Deferred
17
NBC Miami. YNW Melly’s Mom Fights for His Release After Lawsuit Accuses BSO of Cruel Treatment
18
Miami Herald. YNW Melly Federal Lawsuit Dismissed
19
Local 10. Rapper YNW Melly Back in Court as He Seeks Bond Ahead of Double Murder Retrial
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TMZ. YNW Melly Lawyers Rip Bond Decision
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TC Palm. YNW Melly Update: Trial, Release Date