Trial of YNW Melly

State of Florida v. Jamell Demons is an ongoing American criminal case in Florida's 17th Judicial Circuit in which rapper Jamell Demons, professionally known as YNW Melly, is accused of murdering his two friends, Anthony D'Andre Williams (YNW Sakchaser) and Christopher Jermaine Thomas Jr. (YNW Juvy) in October 2018. If convicted, he faces either life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty. If convicted, Demons could be one of the first defendants sentenced under Governor Ron DeSantis’ new non-unanimous death penalty law, which allows a jury to recommend death if at least eight out of twelve jurors agree. The case gained public attention because Demons’ hit single "Murder on My Mind" discusses hypothetical homicidal ideation. On July 22, 2023, Judge John Murphy declared a mistrial after the jury remained deadlocked on the charges, with a 9-to-3 vote favoring conviction on the lesser offenses of manslaughter. As of May 2024, the retrial is on hold pending adjudication of a video from Demons' YouTube channel as evidence. Demons’ attorneys have requested to move forward with the discovery phase of the trial, but as of August 2025, the judge has not ruled due to ongoing appeals over evidence. The retrial is now postponed until at least January 2027, meaning Demons will have spent over eight years in custody without a conviction. The trial continues to attract attention from both media and fans, in part because of the notoriety of Demons’ music, the length of time he has been incarcerated, and the potential implications of Florida’s new non-unanimous death penalty law.