• YNW Melly (Jamell Demons) appeared in Fort Lauderdale as prosecutors and defense attorneys reviewed motions for his re-trial.
• Demons faces two counts of premeditated first-degree murder and witness tampering in deaths of YNW Juvy and YNW Sakchaser.
• A brief hearing cleared issues on what evidence and testimony may be admissible; more motions are set for Jan. 12.
• A separate witness-tampering trial is scheduled for Jan. 21; the double-homicide re-trial is set for January 2027.
H2: Court hearing in Fort Lauderdale
Rapper YNW Melly, legally Jamell Demons, appeared in a Fort Lauderdale courtroom Monday for a short hearing where prosecutors and defense attorneys presented a series of pretrial motions. The session lasted about an hour and focused on which evidence, witnesses and arguments will be allowed in the upcoming re-trial on double-homicide charges.
The judge reviewed filings from both sides to determine admissibility for the case that stems from the October 2018 deaths of Christopher “YNW Juvy” Thomas and Anthony “YNW Sakchaser” Williams.
H3: Charges and allegations
Demons faces two counts of premeditated first-degree murder and additional counts related to witness tampering. Prosecutors allege Demons and others killed the two men after a late-night recording session and staged the scene to look like a drive-by shooting.
Cortland “Bortland” Henry, who is charged as a co-defendant, is accused of driving the Jeep Compass where the victims were found and assisting in the alleged cover-up. Both men have denied the charges through their attorneys.
H3: What happened at the first trial
Demons’ initial trial in 2023 ended in a mistrial after a 12-member jury could not reach a unanimous verdict following three days of deliberations. That trial included contentious courtroom episodes, including allegations of witness tampering, intercepted messages from jail, and claims of an escape plan.
At Monday’s hearing, lawyers flagged those issues and other evidentiary matters for the judge to resolve before the re-trial begins.
H4: Upcoming dates and next steps
The judge set another hearing for Monday, Jan. 12, at 8:45 a.m. to address additional motions. Demons is also scheduled for a separate trial on witness-tampering charges beginning Jan. 21.
The re-trial on the double-homicide charges is slated for January 2027. Court rulings on the pending motions will shape what jurors may hear and could affect the scope and timing of the proceedings.
H4: Stakes and community response
The case remains a high-profile criminal matter because of the defendants’ music careers and the violent nature of the allegations. Local authorities and communities that knew the victims have followed the case closely since the 2018 killings.
As the clock moves toward the next hearings, both sides continue to prepare legal arguments that will define how the re-trial unfolds.
Image Referance: https://www.local10.com/news/local/2026/01/05/motions-filed-ahead-of-rapper-ynw-mellys-re-trial-for-double-homicide/
