YNW Melly's upcoming double murder retrial continues to see delays. According to NBC 6, it's now been pushed back all the way to January 2027. The rapper has been behind bars since 2019, when he was arrested and hit with murder charges. Authorities believe he was allegedly responsible for the fatal shooting of his two friends, YNW Juvy and YNW Sakchaser, which took place in 2018.
His first trial began in June of 2023, but after a few weeks, a mistrial was declared because the jury failed to reach a unanimous decision. The trial has since been rescheduled multiple times, and a September 2025 start date was announced just last month. Clearly, however, the rapper has quite a bit longer to wait.
News of Melly's latest trial delay comes after he attended a pre-trial hearing in July, and Judge Martin S. Fein ordered the court to turn over documents related to his defense attorney, Raven Liberty. Reportedly, she was at the center of an 18-month investigation for suspected witness tampering. At the time of writing, she has not been charged with anything.
YNW Melly Trial
This latest update also comes after YNW Melly requested pre-trial release and sued the Broward County Sheriff's Office last November. In the lawsuit, filed by the young artist's attorney Michael A. Pizzi Jr., they alleged that he was being kept in inhumane conditions. Allegedly, this included prolonged solitary confinement, a lack of visits or phone calls, and more.
"The Broward Sheriff’s Office does not generally comment on pending litigation," the Broward County Sheriff's Office responded. "However, the jail does not utilize 'solitary confinement.' Rather, Mr. Demons has been placed on administrative segregation, which is a classification resulting in an alternate living assignment for an inmate whose placement in the general population poses a serious threat to the safety of staff or inmates, or life and property."
A judge denied his request for pre-trial release in May, meaning he will stay in custody until at least 2027.
