Rapper YNW Melly, his co-defendant Cortlen Henry, and a third individual are facing additional charges filed by the state of Florida. Melly, who appeared in plain clothes on Wednesday, began the first phase of jury selection for his double murder retrial. These new charges, added to the recently filed witness tampering case, include directing criminal gang activities, unlawful use of a two-way communication device, as well as solicitation and conspiracy to commit tampering.
The charges are brought against Jamell Demons (YNW Melly), Cortlen Henry—who also faces murder charges related to the original case—and Terrence Mathis. Melly appeared in a Broward courtroom days after the lead prosecutor in his retrial was replaced, leading to a heated debate between prosecutors and defense attorneys over the trial start date. Despite the state's request for a delay, arguing for the new prosecutor to have time for case review, the defense advocated for a speedy trial. Broward Circuit Judge John Murphy ultimately decided to proceed with the first phase of jury selection, involving questioning potential jurors with scheduling or other concerns.
This retrial follows a motion to recuse prosecutor Kristine Bradley due to concerns about the lead investigator, Mark Moretti, allegedly making false statements. Although the judge didn't question Bradley's integrity, she was removed as a prosecutor because the defense planned to call her as a witness regarding the credibility of one of the investigators.
