Florida prosecutors have dropped all witness tampering–related charges against YNW Melly just days before jury selection was set to begin, marking a significant development in the long-running legal case surrounding the rapper’s alleged involvement in a 2018 double homicide.
On Monday, the Broward County State Attorney’s Office dismissed four felony charges against Melly, whose legal name is Jamell Demons: witness tampering, directing the activities of a criminal gang, criminal solicitation to commit murder, and conspiracy to tamper with a witness in a capital case. The charges stemmed from allegations that Demons attempted to influence a witness connected to his 2023 murder trial, which ended in a mistrial after jurors failed to reach a unanimous verdict.
The dismissal came one day before jury selection was scheduled to begin in the tampering case. Prosecutors did not immediately explain the decision. Demons’ legal team welcomed the move, calling the charges unfounded from the outset. In a statement, attorneys Drew Findling and Carey Haughwout said the state waited too long to reach a conclusion they believe was evident early on.
“As his newly retained legal team, it became immediately apparent to us that no crimes had occurred,” the lawyers said. “Unfortunately, for 652 days while these charges were pending, the state did not reach the same conclusion until the cusp of trial.”
They added that they intend to seek Demons’ release from custody, arguing that the dropped charges had subjected him to unusually restrictive detention conditions. “His release will allow him to fully and meaningfully participate in preparing his defense in the forthcoming proceedings,” they said.
Demons remains charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the October 26, 2018, killings of Anthony Williams and Christopher Thomas Jr., both longtime friends. Prosecutors allege Demons shot the two men inside a Jeep in Miramar, Florida, then conspired with Cortlen Henry to stage the scene as a drive-by shooting by firing at the vehicle afterward. Demons has pleaded not guilty and has consistently denied the allegations.
His original trial concluded in July 2023 with a hung jury, forcing prosecutors to seek a retrial. That retrial is now scheduled for January 2027, nearly eight years after Demons was arrested. The case has faced repeated delays, including disputes over evidence and witness issues.
Henry, who was charged separately, reached a plea agreement with prosecutors in September. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to accessory after the fact and witness tampering charges.
Earlier this year, Broward Circuit Judge Martin S. Fein expressed frustration over the pace of the proceedings. According to NBC Miami, Fein noted that Demons had already spent more than six years in custody and questioned why scheduling conflicts continued to delay progress in the case.
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