From Mistrial to New Twists: Prosecutors Allege Rapper Tampered with Witnesses – But Recent Developments Have Sent Shockwaves Through Hip-Hop as Retrial Looms in 2027
MIAMI – November 20, 2025 – The legal saga surrounding rapper YNW Melly has taken another dramatic turn, with prosecutors dropping witness tampering charges against the 26-year-old star just as he gears up for a high-profile retrial on double murder accusations. Jamell Demons, professionally known as YNW Melly, was hit with the tampering allegations in October 2023, amid claims he conspired to keep key witnesses from testifying in his first trial. But in a move that’s stunned legal watchers and the hip-hop world, the Broward County State Attorney’s office has quietly dismissed those charges, clearing the path for Demons’ retrial on the 2018 slayings of childhood friends Anthony “YNW Sakchaser” Williams and Christopher “YNW Juvy” Thomas Jr. Sources say the decision stems from evidentiary issues and a plea deal with co-defendant Cortlen “YNW Bortlen” Henry, but the timing—weeks before jury selection—has fueled speculation of prosecutorial strategy shifts.
The tampering charges arose from a complex web of alleged interference during Demons’ first trial, which ended in a mistrial on July 22, 2023, after a deadlocked jury voted 9-3 for conviction on lesser manslaughter counts. Prosecutors accused Demons, Henry, and inmate Terrence Mathis of collaborating to intimidate witnesses, including Demons’ ex-girlfriend Mariah Hamilton (aka “Riri”). Hamilton, who took the stand in the initial trial, claimed she felt threatened by prosecutor Kristine Bradley, but affidavits suggested coercion to silence her. The new charge, filed just days before the retrial was set to begin in October 2023, included claims Demons directed efforts to “keep Riri away from testifying.” However, with Henry’s September 2025 plea deal—where murder charges were dropped in exchange for 10 years on accessory and tampering counts—the state appears to have recalibrated, focusing on the core double murder case.
Demons’ defense team, now led by high-profile attorneys Drew Findling and Carey Haughwout after a 2025 shakeup, hailed the dismissal as “vindication.” “This was a desperate distraction from the real issues,” Findling told reporters outside Broward County Courthouse. The original mistrial stemmed from evidentiary disputes, including a controversial YouTube video of Demons rapping about the murders, which Judge Martin Fein ruled inadmissible in May 2025. A Florida appeals court upheld the decision in October, clearing the video but allowing other digital evidence limited to the crime’s immediate aftermath. “The tampering charge was a sideshow,” Haughwout added. “Jamell’s innocence on the murders will shine through.”
The retrial, now slated for January 2027 after further delays, carries life sentences or the death penalty if convicted. Demons has been incarcerated since his 2019 arrest, marking over eight years without a verdict. Henry, his alleged accomplice in staging the shootings as a drive-by, avoided life in prison via the plea but must provide a sworn statement—though his lawyer insists no cooperation against Demons. “Cortlen maintains his innocence and won’t testify,” attorney Fred Haddad confirmed.
Hip-hop is buzzing. YNW Melly’s 2018 hit “Murder on My Mind,” which eerily foreshadowed the case, has resurfaced on charts, while supporters like Kodak Black tweeted: “Free Melly—justice delayed is justice denied.” Critics, however, point to the tampering probe’s roots in Melly’s ex-lawyer Raven Liberty’s ethics investigation, suggesting the dropped charge signals prosecutorial weakness.
As jury selection looms, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Demons, once a SoundCloud sensation with 2.5 million monthly listeners, faces a narrative that’s as much cultural as criminal—rap’s “hypothetical homicide” themes under scrutiny. Will the retrial exonerate him, or seal his fate? For now, the witness tampering storm has cleared, but the murder retrial’s shadow grows longer. In hip-hop’s courtroom of public opinion, Melly’s fight rages on.
