YNW Melly’s codefendant in double murder case was given plea deal. What it means
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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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A day after YNW Melly’s confidant and codefendant accepted a plea agreement, prosecutors expounded on why they offered Cortlen Henry a fortuitous deal — which will require him to detail his role in the alleged killing of two associates in a 2018 drive-by shooting.
In a document released Wednesday, prosecutors said they had “insufficient” evidence to prove that Henry, 26, was a primary actor in the double murders. Instead, prosecutors said they could prove Henry helped cover up the killings.
“Cortlen Henry has no prior criminal history,” says the document, penned by prosecutors Taylor Collins and Justin Griffis. “Given the above evidence and issues, it was decided that the best course of action would be to resolve the cases to the bottom of the guidelines followed by a probationary sentence...”
On Tuesday, Henry entered a no-contest plea to accessory after the fact and witness tampering charges before Broward Circuit Court Judge Martin Fein. Through the deal, prosecutors dropped two murder charges — and shipped Henry off to prison for 10 years.
READ MORE: YNW Melly’s confidant strikes plea deal in double murder case. Will he testify?
Henry, also known as YNW Bortlen, will serve six years of probation following his sentence. Henry will be released from prison a few years early since he’s already done a little over four-and-a-half years in jail.
He was facing five life sentences, if convicted at trial.
Henry was arrested alongside Melly in 2019. He and Melly, whose real name is Jamell Demons, were accused of gunning down friends Anthony Williams and Christopher Thomas Jr. in an alleged drive-by 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: Delay means YNW Melly will have been in jail for 8 years without being convicted
In the document, prosecutors also said they intended to try Henry and Melly together. They were planning on pushing back Henry’s trial until an appeal in Melly’s case — focused on evidence thrown out after his mistrial— was handled by a higher court. Melly’s retrial is currently scheduled for 2027; he’s facing the death penalty, if convicted.
Fein, however, ordered Henry’s trial to commence in September, prompting prosecutors to offer Henry the deal, the document shows.
Will he take the stand in Melly’s trial?
As part of the deal, Henry will also give a “proffer at a later time.” In a proffer, a defendant usually provides information to prosecutors in exchange for a plea deal or leniency.
Henry’s proffer, per the document, would include “what his testimony would be if called upon.”
It’s unclear if Henry will testify against Melly. After Tuesday’s hearing, Henry’s defense attorney Fred Haddad said he will not be a witness in Melly’s retrial. Prosecutors will just ask Henry a “couple questions,” the attorney added.
“Cortlen Henry is not a snitch, and he will not be cooperating or testifying in Melly’s trial,” Haddad said. “Anyone who claims differently has not seen the plea deal and has no idea what they’re talking about.”
Proffers are usually used to gather details of what happened and why — or to “lock testimony” so a defendant can’t testify on behalf of a codefendant, defense attorney Brad Cohen told the Miami Herald on Wednesday.
Cohen said he believes prosecutors will question Henry about the shooting — and the events leading up to it — to establish that Melly was the only other person in the car at the time of the slayings. Cohen added that Henry will likely be asked whether he committed the murders.
However, Cohen said he doubts that prosecutors will call Henry to the stand as a state witness in Melly’s trial. But they may have him on stand-by if Melly decides to testify in his own defense.
Henry’s statement, Cohen said, may also be used as evidence that Melly was in the car — which could complicate the rapper’s defense.
During Melly’s first trial, two of his friends provided conflicting testimony about the rapper’s whereabouts. One placed him inside the vehicle; the other at his house.
“There’s no way the state would give out a deal like this without [the proffer,]” Cohen said.
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