Days before retrial, YNW Melly faces a new charge. Defense says it’s a distraction
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The double murder trial of rapper YNW Melly
The double murder trial of rapper YNW Melly, whose legal name is Jamell Demons, has had many twists and turns since the South Florida artist was accused of killing his childhood best friends Anthony Williams and Christopher Thomas Jr. in 2019.
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YNW Melly’s double murder trial is set to begin next week, but the rapper is now facing a new charge.
Melly appeared in court on Wednesday and was formally charged with witness tampering. The allegation comes just days after his co-defendant Cortlen Henry, who was out on bond pending his trial, was arrested in Miami-Dade on witness tampering charges. Melly has been at the Broward main jail since he turned himself in to authorities in February 2019.
Details related to the witness tampering charge haven’t been filed in court as of Wednesday morning. However, the Broward Sheriff’s Office alleges that Henry and unnamed “others” stopped a potential witness from testifying in Melly’s trial by “knowingly [engaging] in misleading conduct” from April through July.
“This is a transparent and desperate attempt by the State Attorney’s office to distract the public for the deposition of an Assistant State Attorney who accused this case’s lead detective and lead prosecutor of felonies by falsifying and covering up evidence damaging to the state’s case,” the rapper’s defense attorneys said in a statement to the Miami Herald.
READ MORE: YNW Melly’s lawyers are challenging evidence as retrial looms. Here’s what — and why
In the last week, the rapper’s case has heated up with defense attorneys filing slews of court documents and accusing Miramar Police Detective Mark Moretti of wrongdoing and lead prosecutor Kristine Bradley of a Brady violation, or concealing information favorable to the defense, for allegedly not divulging details about the incident involving Moretti.
Under Florida law, prosecutors are required to disclose any information that may be favorable to the defense. The discovery of Brady violations, in some cases, have even led to overturned convictions.
On Friday, Michelle Boutros, a Broward prosecutor of 20 years assigned to the Public Corruption Unit, recounted the events of the October 2022 incident with Moretti and accused him unethical behavior. Defense attorneys filed the transcripts of Boutros’ interview on Monday to support their efforts to dismiss the case.
In 2022, Boutros was contacted for a possible tampering investigation into Jamie King, Melly’s mother. That’s why she was present when Moretti questioned King. King was accused of tampering with two witnesses: Mariah Hamilton, Melly’s ex-girlfriend, and Felicia Holmes, Hamilton’s mother. Holmes ultimately took the stand in the first trial and told defense attorney Stuart Adelstein that she felt threatened by Bradley.
READ MORE: Prosecutor accused detective in YNW Melly case of lying. She’s now a defense witness
“There is now sworn testimony from a court officer that Det. Moretti illegally seized evidence, falsified a report, and solicited an officer to lie,” Melly’s defense team said in a statement. “Further, there is testimony that Kristine Bradley knowingly violated law by covering up this illegal seizure, and has had her bar license threatened by her superior, Broward State Attorney Harold Pryor.”
The defense notified Pryor, Deputy Chief Assistant State Attorney Regina Faulk, and Assistant State Attorney Christopher Killoran, Boutros’ boss, to appear in court for a hearing on Friday. But the top officials at the State Attorney’s Office requested on Tuesday that Broward Circuit Court Judge John Murphy quash the subpoenas, which required them to appear, on the grounds that they weren’t properly served.
They also asked Murphy to grant a protective order as the defense planned to question them about “privileged work product.”
READ MORE: YNW Melly’s lawyers urge judge to throw out rapper’s double murder case. Here’s why
Melly, 24, whose real name is Jamell Demons, is accused of gunning down his childhood friends Anthony Williams and Christopher Thomas Jr. in a drive-by cover-up after spending the night of Oct. 26, 2018, at a Fort Lauderdale recording studio. Williams and Thomas, both aspiring rappers with the YNW collective, were known as YNW Sakchaser and YNW Juvy, respectively.
READ MORE: YNW Melly’s lawyers want to remove the Broward prosecutors’ office from case. But why?
Melly is among the first defendants to go to trial after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law to lower the threshold for a death sentence to an 8-4 jury vote, from the previous requirement for a unanimous vote.
This report will be updated as more information becomes available.
This story was originally published October 4, 2023 at 11:19 AM.
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