YNW Melly has been moved to a new jail — his first since 2019 — which is where he will stay until his double-murder retrial reaches a verdict.
The “Murder on My Mind” rapper (real name Jamell Demons) has been incarcerated since he was accused of murdering his two childhood friends — YNW Juvy and YNW Sakchaser — and according to inmate records obtained by HipHopDX, he has been moved from the Broward County Jail, where he has been since turning himself in back in February of 2019, to the Paul Rein Detention Center in Pompano Beach, FL.
AD LOADING...
Per the facility’s official website, the Paul Rein Detention Center is a maximum-security prison “where staff works more closely with inmates and inmate movement is kept to a minimum. […] Because of direct supervision, higher security risk inmates don’t have to leave their housing unit for visitation. A non-breakable window separates the housing unit from a visitation area and inmates and visitors can talk on a built-in telephone.”
Check out the inmate records below. Cortlen Henry is YNW Bortlen, who is charged with the murders alongside Melly; and Terrence Mathis is Melly’s co-defendant in a separate witness tampering case.
YNW Melly sent to new jail for first time since 2019 pic.twitter.com/lnOVAIPXnV
— HipHopDX (@HipHopDX) April 6, 2024
Back in January, Judge John J. Murphy, III declared that the “Murder On My Mind” rapper’s retrial for the alleged double murder of his crew members YNW Sakchaser and YNW Juvy will begin on March 5 “or as soon thereafter as this [case] may be heard,” according to a document filed last week.
The expedited start date comes because Melly “has been in custody for more than 750 days while awaiting trial,” the document makes clear. The rapper was arrested in February 2019 and has seen his retrial pushed back numerous times in recent months.
AD LOADING...
According to reporter Bryson Paul, Judge Murphy “expressed urgency in getting the retrial underway” at a court hearing on January 12.
To date, however, the trial has not yet commenced.
AD LOADING...
YNW Melly is accused of conspiring with YNW Bortlen in October 2018 to kill Juvy and Sakchaser and stage their deaths as a drive-by shooting.
If Melly is convicted, he could face the death penalty. A previous trial ended last summer with the jury unable to reach a verdict.
YNW Melly’s legal battles, however, have not stopped him commenting on new music.
Last month, the incarcerated rapper took to his Instagram stories where he stirred up drama, alleging that K Dot took a direct shot at him on “Like That” — fresh off Future and Metro Boomin‘s new album We Don’t Trust You.
AD LOADING...
In a screenshot shared by DJ Akademiks, Melly highlighted a lyrical mix-up, pointing out a post displaying Genius’ lyrics to “Like That,” which mistakenly mentions “Melly Mell” instead of Hip Hop legend Melle Mel, the apparent target of Kenny’s verse.
“Wasn’t ready for this stray @kendricklamar [person talking and man facepalming emoji] you gone at least share my single today [man shrugging emoji],” Melly wrote in his post.
