Rapper YNW Melly will remain behind bars until the start of his double murder re-trial in Broward, a judge ruled Monday.
Attorneys for Melly, whose real name is Jamell Demons, filed a motion for pre-trial release in March. They alleged that he was being abused at the hands of the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, claiming the department denied him opportunities to speak to his family and one of his lawyers.
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WATCH HEREBut a judge denied the latest bond request, marking at least the third time Demons' request for bond has been denied.
YNW MELLY TRIAL
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The rapper is accused of shooting Christopher Thomas Jr. and Anthony Williams to death in October of 2018. Both victims were members of the YNW Collective along with Demons.
His first trial ended in a mistrial in July 2023. Demons has been in custody since his arrest in 2019.
The re-trial is set to begin in September. If convicted, he could face the death penalty.
Although a bond would have been rare for someone facing two capital murder charges, Demons' attorneys sought to have him released on house arrest, with an ankle monitor tracked by law enforcement and private security to watch him 24 hours per day.
Prosecutors argued that the capital murder allegations against him, along with a pending tampering with a witness case, should prevent him from receiving a bond. They also cited ballistic evidence and cell phone records they said puts Demons at the scene of the crime.
