YNW Melly Arrested for Double Murder
Florida rappers YNW Melly (real name: Jamell Demons) and YNW Bortlen (real name: Cortlen Henry) have been arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports. The murders of two members of Demons’ own YNW crew took place on October 26 in South Florida.
Miramar Police say Demons, 19, shot and killed aspiring rappers Anthony “YNW Sakchaser” Williams, 21, and Christopher “YNW Juvy” Thomas Jr., 19. Police also claim that Demons and Henry staged the crime scene to give it the appearance of a drive-by shooting. Williams and Thomas sustained multiple gunshot wounds, and according to police, Henry drove their bodies to a Miramar, Florida emergency room. The specific location of the South Florida shooting is unknown.
On October 31, Demons’ attorney shared the rapper’s reaction to the deaths of Williams and Thomas. “He’s sad, he’s upset, obviously,” said attorney Bradford Cohen. “Those were his best friends.”
Pitchfork has reached out to Melly’s representatives for comment.
Earlier this year, YNW Melly released a new Kanye West-featuring project called We All Shine. Melly came to prominence off the success of singles like “Murder On My Mind” and “Slang That Iron.” His growing numbers on YouTube and SoundCloud notched him co-signs from Future and Young Thug. NW Melly released his latest project, We All Shine, in January. “Mixed Personalities,” his collaboration with Kanye West, was his highest-profile song to date. Representatives for YNW Melly did not immediately reply to requests for comment.