FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Rapper Jamell “YNW Melly” Demons was in court on Wednesday for a hearing in Broward County.
Demons, 24, is awaiting his retrial for the murders of fellow YNW rappers Christopher “Juvy” Thomas Jr. and 21-year-old Anthony “SakChaser” Williams in 2021.
The prosecution asked Broward County Circuit Judge John Murphy to quash the defense’s subpoenas of the State Attorney Harold F. Pryor and several assistant state attorneys.
The defense was also asking Murphy to act on a report that a veteran assistant state attorney reported the lead Miramar police detective in the case had lied.
The defense also accused the prosecution of attempting to cover up the report about the alleged misconduct while executing a search warrant.
Prosecutors accused the rapper of using his Bloods gang connections to get across his lack of access to a phone to intervene with a witness’s testimony.
Murphy declared a mistrial on July 22 prompting a retrial for the two murders on the early morning of Oct. 26, 2018, in Broward County.
Surveillance videos show Thomas, 19, and Williams, 21, got into a Jeep Compass with Demons at about 3:20 a.m., at the New Era Recording Studio at 805 NE 4 Ave., prosecutors said.
Fellow YNW rapper Cortland “Bortland” Henry was driving the Jeep when he arrived at about 4:35 a.m., at the Memorial Hospital Miramar, at 1701 SW 172 Ave., with Thomas and Williams dead, prosecutors said.
A grand jury indicted Demons on Feb. 7, 2019, and he surrendered to Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies on Feb. 13, 2019. He has been held without bond ever since.
If convicted of the murders, Demons could face the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of life in prison without parole. Demons is also facing a witness tampering charge.
There were over 20 motions pending before jury selection in the retrial. Murphy did not rule on the defense’s request to recuse the prosecutor, but he said he planned to rule on the prosecution’s request to invalidate the defense’s subpoenas. The hearing ended at about 10:10 a.m.