FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The first week of the murder trial of YNW Melly wrapped up on Thursday without conclusive evidence that he held the gun that fired the bullets that killed Anthony Williams and Christopher Thomas.
But there’s a lot of trial to go.
Prosecutors say Jamell Demons, 24, was seated in the back seat of a Jeep driven by Cortland Henry early on Oct. 26, 2018, after a recording session in Fort Lauderdale. A short time later, when Henry was driving along Miramar Parkway near Interstate 75, prosecutors say Demons opened fire and killed his two friends.
Henry is charged as an accomplice in the case but will be tried separately.
So far the trial has focused on the physical evidence establishing that the casings bullet casings found inside the car likely came from the same weapon as the casings found at the scene where prosecutors claim Henry and Demons staged a drive-by shooting.
YNW Melly is Demons’ stage name.
Thursday’s testimony ended with defense lawyers requesting a mistrial over the testimony of Felicia Holmes, mother of Demons’ ex-girlfriend. Defense lawyers accused the prosecution of calling Holmes solely to discredit her own testimony about a conversation Demons had with her daughter.
Broward Circuit Judge John Murphy said he would consider the defense request, but for now, the trial is scheduled to resume Tuesday morning.
