Rapper and singer YNW Melly, known best for his song Murder On My Mind, is currently on trial for the alleged murder of his two friends: YNW Sakchaser, and YNW Juvy. This trial has been stretched for over six years ever since his arrest in 2019, with YNW Melly being restricted solely to the prison during that time. This has been viewed by many as a gross misuse of the legal system, traps people in horrific situations to the point where they break and eventually give into the prosecution’s demands through plea bargaining.
On October 26, 2018, YNW Bortlen came to the hospital reporting that two of his friends in the YNW collective YNW Sakchaser and YNW Juvy – were killed in a drive-by shooting. He told authorities that, along with the victims, YNW Melly was also in the vehicle. YNW Melly did not come to the hospital with YNW Juvy, which quickly raised suspicions in the law’s eye.
The police then tracked Melly’s phone and discovered that the car that all the potential suspects were in had actually driven past the hospital and into a secluded area. This went against what Bortlen had told the Florida Police Department, as when they searched the area with canines, no shell casings were found. YNW Juvy told the Florida PD the location in which their car got shot at by other people but when canines went to the location provided by Juvy no shell casings were found.
However, in the secluded area in which the car took a detour to before going to the hospital, shell casings were found that match the bullets that killed YNW Sakchaser and YNW Juvy. After forensic testing, it was found that the shots that killed the two victims actually came from the inside of the car, and were shot from the left side which goes againt YNW Juvy’s sotry of a drive by happening from the right side off the vehicle
YNW Melly and YNW Brortlen are put in jail at this point due to suspicions of killing Sakchaser and Juvy. The prosecution keeps Juvy in jail for an unrelated drug charge that already toes the line of corruption.
It takes years for the trial to begin, and in that time, the prosecution has trouble figuring out two things: the murder weapon and, most importantly, the motive. The state cannot figure out why YNW Melly would allegedly kill his friends since they grew up together and seemingly had maintained a close friendship.
Despite the prosecution struggling to find evidence, the judge presiding over the case ruled that they must have a trial since they have held him in jail for multiple years now. The trial still goes on without a motive or a murder weapon, which results in a hung jury that is unable to decide on a verdict. This has only pushed the next trial back further, keeping Melly in jail until the case can return to court.
This case has come to be viewed as a failure of the justice system, not only for the lack of closure for the victims’ families, but also for the defendant himself. since the courts in America believe that a person is innocent until proven guilty. So at this point an innocent person has been kept in jail for multiple years violating his amendment rights to a quick trial. Throughout all this time he had been kept in the cage which is the american prison system while it seems like the court can’t seem to decide whether to give him a trial or postpone it again.
Recently, the prosecution went to YNW Juvy and offerred him a deal where if he gave them information they would give him ten years in prison and six years of probation in return for providing information about the murders. This is a vast difference from his current suspected sentencing of life in prison for his aforementioned drug charge. Both fans and officials are hopeful that this will bring a new life to the case and finally wrap up the trial for both YNW Melly and the victims. This seems like a lot of time but then you find out that they were threatening him with life in jail. To most rational people this doesnt sound like a plea deal, this sounds like entrapment since he is quite literally playing with his life here all because the prosecution can’t find new evidence.
