Jury 'deadlocked' in YNW Melly case in which rapper faces death penalty
Jurors hearing a US rapper's murder trial are reportedly in deadlock, as the 24-year-old waits to learn if he could be convicted then sentenced to death.
YNW Melly, whose real name is Jamell Demons, was charged with two counts of first-degree murder after the deaths of Anthony Williams and Christopher Thomas Jr. in Vero Beach, Florida.
Best known for hit song Murder On My Mind and a collaboration with Kanye West, his life is now in the hands of a jury who only need to vote 8-4 in favour of the death penalty.
But after closing arguments this week, the jurors wrote in a note on Friday: "What if we can't come to a decision? Everyone is stuck on which side they chose."
The Miami Herald reported that Judge John Murphy brought the jury back into the courtroom and read them the Allen charge, which refers to a set of instructions urging jurors to reach a verdict.
If they don't, the case will result in a mistrial, the jury was reportedly told.
However prosecutors would then be able to pursue a new trial within 90 days of the mistrial being declared, giving the state another opportunity to retry the defendant.
A lowered threshold for the death penalty
In April, Florida governor and Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis signed a new statute into law that allows juries to recommend a death sentence with an 8-4 majority instead of a unanimous vote.
It came after public outrage around Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz, who killed 17 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018, avoided the death penalty after a split jury in October 2022.
"Proper justice will be served in the state of Florida," DeSantis said at the time.
It is just one of a multitude of controversial political stances DeSantis has taken in his home state.
He has backed laws making it easier to own a gun amid a flurry of mass shootings in the US and continued his efforts to hinder abortion access in Florida.
Why could this case mark an historical turn in Florida law?
The 8-4 vote to recommend a death sentence is the lowest threshold in the country.
Alabama is the only other state that allows split juries to recommend death sentences, and it requires a 10–2 majority.
Judge John Murphy granted state prosecutors’ motion to follow the new law in the sentencing of Demons, whose trial began on June 20.
If he is convicted and sentenced, Demons would be one of the first to receive a death penalty verdict as a result of the new statute.
What are the charges against YNW Melly?
Both Demons and another man, Cortlen Henry, are charged with two counts of first-degree murder with a firearm.
According to prosecutors, Demons, Williams and Thomas were riding in a Jeep driven by Cortland Henry, known as YNW Bortlen, after a recording session in Fort Lauderdale when Demons fatally shot Williams and Thomas. Henry is charged as an accomplice in the case and will be tried separately.
After killing Williams and Thomas — prosecutors said — Demons and Henry drove the bodies to an area near the Everglades, where they shot at the back and passenger sides of Henry’s Jeep from the outside to make it look like Williams and Thomas had been the victims of a drive-by shooting.
Defence lawyers, in presenting their closing argument on Thursday afternoon, focused on the fact that the gun used in the shooting was never recovered. They also told jurors that YNW Melly had no apparent motive.
Prosecutors said the shooting was part of a gang action, while defence attorneys said that lacks credibility because Demons and the victims were close friends.
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