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UPDATE
11:18 AM PT — 7/22 — Broward County State Attorney’s office confirmed this week they’re gearing up for a retrial, with a hearing set for this Friday.
YNW Melly‘s years-long double murder case has just ended in dramatic fashion … he’s off the hook, for now, ’cause a judge just declared a mistrial.
The rapper got the good news Saturday in a Broward County courtroom — where the jury actually came in on a weekend to reaffirm they had not been able to come to a unanimous decision, this after starting deliberations on Thursday … following closing arguments.
It’s one of the wildest hip hop murder cases to happen … Melly and his co-defendant Cortlen — aka, YNW Bortlen — Henry were accused of killing their friends Christopher “Juvy” Thomas Jr. and Anthony “Sakchaser” Williams in South Florida circa October 2018.
Investigators used forensic evidence to argue Melly and Henry fatally shot the pair in the back of a Jeep Compass and staged the scene to look like a drive-by. The killings, at the time, were described as gruesome … and alleged to have been carried out in cold blood.
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Apparently, however, that wasn’t enough to sway the jury … at least not all of them, anyway.
Melly had been locked up since February 2019 while he awaited trial but the time away didn’t hurt his rap career. Fans streamed his music faithfully and ran the numbers up … his discography now has 10 platinum and gold plaques when he had zilch when he was initially arrested for the murders. Remember, he was facing the death penalty … so high stakes.
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Now, Melly’s a free man … that is, assuming prosecutors don’t go after him again — which they certainly can. It’s unclear if the state plans to do it all over again … stay tuned.
Originally Published — 7/22 11:49 AM PT
