What up gang.
Back with the real you know what’s the deal. By now we’ve all known what’s been happening the past 2 years with Florida artist, YNW Melly, and if by some reason you live under a rock and in the dark about his situation, then you’ve come to the right place. YNW Melly was at one point at the top of hip hop as a new artist breaking into the scene with his emotional and raw music. But the rapper and the different personalities living in him allegedly murdered two of his best friends and staged it as a drive by shooting. The once prolific career now has the death penalty hovering over his head. We’re going to break down his troubled pass and the voices in his head that lead him down his destructive path, the snitch that may have sealed his fate, and the damning evidence of the case.
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Jamell Demons would be conceived when his mother, Jamie Demons-King was only 14 years old. Being a child herself, she lived with her mother in an apartment before beginning to work at Dunkin Donuts after they moved to the lower end of Gifford, Florida known to have widespread poverty https://youtu.be/TGIp4H_JvZg (3:08-3:35) Jamell would find ways to cope with his new environment, bumping on the porch with his radio. One day he would pop in his only CD, Cris Brown’s first album, and while dancing he would for the first time meet one of the friends he is now accused of murdering, Christopher Thomas Jr. aka YNW Juvy https://youtu.be/TGIp4H_JvZg (4:51-5:41)
From then their friendship was inseparable, and he would build a bond with more like him that were like minded with bigger dreams https://youtu.be/TGIp4H_JvZg (4:30-4:39) This would include the other homie whose life he allegedly took, Anthony Williams aka YNW Sakchaser
And accomplice to the murder of their two friends Cortlen Henry aka YNW Bortlen
Let’s sidetrack a sec to pay close attention to a founding member of YNW that often times goes unnoticed. Jalen Green aka YNW JGreen.
YNW JGreen was one of the first 3 to form the Young Nigga World (YNW) collective alongside Melly and Juvy https://youtu.be/B2dnMkLXPUs (3:24-3:31) https://youtu.be/oMMyaXbaJZs (12:43-12:45) Unfortunately their would be a falling out between him and Melly, that would cause him to distance himself from the group, but later they would squash it realizing they were tweakin’ just off being young and wildin’ https://youtu.be/B2dnMkLXPUs (5:17-5:51) https://youtu.be/B2dnMkLXPUs (7:21-7:33) https://youtu.be/B2dnMkLXPUs (8:04-8:29) Now he goes by just JGreen but still respects the YNW name https://youtu.be/B2dnMkLXPUs (8:29-8:36) There time together started off the come up in their music world like the YNW track “Youngins” https://youtu.be/nuyQngrPpC4
Melly would claim to have this career path revealed to him by God in the 4th grade during a kindergarten rendition where he had the lead role for the classic Lion King cut https://youtu.be/TGIp4H_JvZg (8:13-9:03) Now and then he would freestyle in school https://youtu.be/bOlp3Api9t8 but his mind was hiding someone in him that he kept from the world. He would be put on Adderall at only the 7th grade and confined to a crazy house for 7 days after carrying a knife to school trying to slit both him and another student’s throat https://youtu.be/VgF-8gdM1k0 (3:45-4:26) Melly would be diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder and ADHD https://youtu.be/VgF-8gdM1k0 (3:09-3:14) and the different sides of him slowly began creeping out. According to a now grown Melly, he has a total of 6 personalities but he keeps 3 hidden from the world until the right time https://youtu.be/zuE0w5YYChk (5:13-6:17) The 3 he has shown thus far are the cool chill one, YNW Melly, the low key civilian one, Marcus, and the one that will take your life, Melvin. If we fast track a bit to his hit single “Murder on My Mind” that placed him on the map, Melly told Genius in an interview that Melvin is the one that inspired the song because that’s all he thinks about https://youtu.be/qN7zg6V9qMg (3:15-3:33).
The childhood event that triggered his fantasy for death was when he stumbled upon a gun under the bed of his Uncle’s house. Melly would fire the weapon and he would fall in love with its sound and power https://youtu.be/TGIp4H_JvZg (6:18-7:40) https://youtu.be/qN7zg6V9qMg (0:00-0:22) As with the knife incident, Melvin showed how dark the level of his thoughts go. Melly’s life would change at 16 years old when he was charged with three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and one count of discharging a firearm in public when he fired into a group of kids at a school https://youtu.be/v4EFeR8o-RM (5:42-5:58) https://youtu.be/H1lGfUvXrpA
This forced Melly to drop out of school, but it was a blessing and a curse. It was when he was behind bars that he penned the song “Mamy Cry” https://youtu.be/snXbzm95oCk https://youtu.be/NGbUsgG_48k and the track that shot him to stardom “Murder On My Mind” https://youtu.be/hqDinxaPUK4 It was up from there. Melly’s popularity was skyrocketing and after being released, he dropped the track “Melly The Menace” in February of 2018 where he raps “Bih I’m a Menace I shoot up school premises, F the environment.” https://youtu.be/K37h6HlZR3k Unfortunately his freedom was short lived after authorities would arrest the rapper while on juvenile probation for the lyrics to his song “Murder On My Mind” https://youtu.be/VgF-8gdM1k0 (1:14-1:36) https://youtu.be/zuE0w5YYChk (3:18-3:27) He would be back out not long after. Melly would be in and out of prison fighting legal issues but his music career was exploding. It was evident when he released the collaborative track “Mixed Personalities” alongside Mr. Yeezy himself from his album “We All Shine”
https://youtu.be/iFv6BXjnKRU His singing to 100K management solidified his fame
Melly and his YNW crew were taking over, living lavish and everything that comes with it. But in 2018 tragedy struck when Melly reportedly lost his day one homies YNW Sakchaser and YNW Juvy to a drive by shooting. On October 26th 2018, reports began flooding in about the drive by that shot up Melly’s whip and two of the YNW collective succumbed to their injuries upon arrival to the Memorial Hospital.
The story given by YNW Bortlen, who was the one to bring the victims to the hospital, was that the crew, excluding Melly, had just left the studio in Fort Lauderdale and as they entered the freeway, a car pulled up and opened fire, hitting Sakchaser and Juvy in the head, torso, and back. Melly would mourn the passing of his brothers online with heartfelt posts to social media
Some footage however of Melly turning up looking happy at a music video taken just the following day of his friends passing have some questioning his empathy https://youtu.be/9WjCnWLUgv4 (1:01-1:25)
But the world still banded together to share comfort for the rapper’s loss, law enforcement was working behind the scene on investigations into another theory, and soon Melly would have his world turned upside down. The story broke when YNW Bortlen was arrested in February 2019 for his role in the murder of Sakchaser and Juvy. Melly would release a message to his fans before turning himself in to authorities
It was then that the true severity of the allegations was coming to light. Basically, what authorities believe, is that Melly and Bortlen staged the entire drive by to cover up that the one that murked their friends, were none other than Melly himself. Crazy https://youtu.be/Pb3gKb037z4 https://youtu.be/ogSEjXDF4dE
The charges were damning. Bortlen, whose real name is Cortlen Henry, was charged with 2 counts of premediated murder and 2 counts of accessory after the fact and held without bond https://youtu.be/wBF17zoC4o4 (2:37-3:17) Melly, real name Jamell Demons was charged with 2 counts of premediated murder and was also held without bond https://youtu.be/DtrU92Alnj8 (5:00-5:21)
Given the level of the crime, Louisiana hood legend, Boosie advised the use of the lawyer that got him off death row, Jason Willams https://youtu.be/nNmiUxbseHk (0:04-0:18) https://youtu.be/nNmiUxbseHk (0:38-0:58)
But even with Jason, the case had a lot of roadblocks coming that would stop Melly’s freedom dead in its tracks. Authorities would release findings on their investigations and the information documents appeared like the nail in the coffin for Melly and Bortlen.
Officers had cell phone videos, snap chat messages, videos, snitches, the whole nine. Investigations began picking apart plot holes in the original story. Firstly, Bortlen told authorities it was a drive by, and that Melly wasn’t in the car as he went in a separate vehicle when they left the studio. That’s the first contradiction. There was another person in the studio by the name of Dontavius Withers who informed authorities he was present at the studio with Melly, Bortlen, Juvy, and Sakchaser but upon leaving they went in separate vehicles and was unaware of where Melly went afterwards
That was also a contradiction. Investigators found that to be untrue upon finding out that he was in the company of Melly at, get this, Fredo Bang’s crib after the shooting.
Investigators would then double back to the studio, where the manager confirmed the crew was present and footage from the studio shows all four leave in the same vehicle, a grey jeep with Bortlen driving, Melly in the left back seat, Sakchaser in the front passenger seat, and Juvy in the right back seat.
Upon being pressed by authorities, Withers would change his initial story, saying Melly left with Bortlen n’em first but then got a message on snapchat to meet up and that’s when Melly got in his whip. Here’s where investigators outwitted their tactic. Officers obtained a warrant for the phones of Melly, Bortlen, Juvy, and Sak and by mapping out the routes from each, they found that Melly was in the grey jeep the entire time and never met up with Withers. Instead his phone location went separate from the jeep just minutes before Bortlen went to the hospital. Before that time, the Jeep proceeded to circle one area for a length of time.
This connected a lot of the dots to the authority’s theory that Bortlen intentionally stalled carrying Sak and Jurvy to the hospital so they could scheme up the story of the drive by when they themselves were the shooters. But, that’s a large speculation even if the stories by Bortlen and Whithers didn’t add up. On top of that, investigators concluded that it could not be a drive by shooting based on the evidence reported from the autopsy
The report shows that the wound path for each victim was contradictory to that of one that comes from outside, but more matching a scenario where the bullets were shot from inside, mainly, from the seat Melly was located. Investigators would hit a goldmine when they found a shell casing inside the vehicle in a plastic bag by Melly matching casings on the outside of the vehicle. What does this mean? To investigators is supported their claim that Melly was the one that pulled the trigger so the entire drive by was staged as a cover up.
But the cops didn’t stop there. They still needed more to have an airtight case. They called in the help of the canine unit, who they used along with data from the phone locations, to locate what they label as the real crime scene. There, they found evidence that set Melly even further back. Officers would collect 8 40 caliber shell castings, the same bullets that were found on the floor at Melly’s seat. Not only that, but shattered glass that matched the Jeep, also located at the scene. These findings make the theory something of a reality to the case now, as it means the vehicle was stopped at that location, and bullets fired in, to stage the murder, then moved on.
This matches up with the time patterns and movement found in the phone tracking made possible by the network Melly used.
Being on T-Mobile, a network which allows various data to be collected, even as detailed as when someone is mobile or stationary, cops had all the info they needed to piece together their case.
Findings would suggest that the trajectory of the bullets into the vehicle were inconsistent with the story of a drive by. I know it’s a lot, but follow me closely here. Check out the images
Cops mapped out the entire trajectory of the bullets and it showed a shocking discovery, the bullets weren’t matching up to ones shot by a moving vehicle in a drive by, by from someone standing shooting in, also, that the wounds inflected on Sak and Juvy came from close range and at angles consistent with them being fired from where Melly was located.
By now things look pretty grim for Melly and Bortlen, but investigators weren’t letting their foot off the gas. Turns out, as stated in court documents, Melly’s manager, Jamison Francois aka 100K Track, was ordered to hand over Melly’s phone, and he passed on the actual phone into their hands. Many have come down on him for not denying having the phone or providing another phone instead of the one Melly had, but that’s not the route he chose.
This phone was like the smoking gun to the case
It allowed for the tracking, and worst yet, for the finding of a video of melly apparently admitting to the hit.
https://youtu.be/Pb3gKb037z4 (2:29-2:38)
Authorities would also find snapchat messages between Melly and his girl 14 days after the incident occurred that seem to speak on his respect and protection of Bortlen after he held it down and helped carry out the act.
This info must have hurt not only Melly and Bortlen, but his manager as well, given that reports label him earlier on as someone that has steady been trying to sideline the investigation
The evidence at this point was a mountain that was becoming more and more unclimbable, but wait, there’s more. Cops would interview another witness, Jacobi Mills, that was present in the vehicle that left with Whithers.
This was the break authorities needed. He would provide answers to a range of questions by law enforcement. He would tell authorities he too was told it was a drive by that took his friends lives, but that changed when he met up at Fredo Bang’s house with Melly present. He said Melly was acting strange and crying but from his demeanor it appeared fake to him and insincere. No matter how much he asked Melly who shot them, Melly would remain silent. Cobi then told authorities that him, along with Melly, Bortlen and Track went to a woody location led by Bortlen and recovered a 40 Cal covered in blood, like the same matching the bullets found at the crime scene. He then stated Track took the gun and vouched to take care of it, after which the alleged murder weapon was never to be found again, even after cops searched Track’s apartment on a warrant after the interview.
The final piece of evidence that ties the entire investigation together, was a recording of Melly’s mom that gives probable cause to the double murder. In the clip she states Melly showed her messages of Sakchaser threatening her and her loved ones with a gun, then proceeds to send back one of her own saying her son Melly has bigger guns https://youtu.be/ArV14yVZisQ
The odds seem fully stacked against Melly. To date, the latest news was the May 23rd release of Bortlen on $90,000 Bond to await trial on house arrest.
https://pitchfork.com/news/ynw-bortlen-granted-release-on-bond/
Unfortunately, in April, 2021, Bortlen violated the terms of his release by turning up at various strip clubs which got him right back in the pen with his bond revoked.
https://www.xxlmag.com/ynw-melly-ynw-bortlen-arrested-violate-bond-strip-clubs/
As it stands, they are both again incarcerated and awaiting trial, to see if the case leads in their favor, or in the direction of the law. While Bortlen will be facing life, Melly on the other hand is being tried by Broward prosecutors for the death penalty, so the stakes are high.
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/crime/fl-ne-ynw-melly-death-penalty-20190422-story.html
I’ll keep my ears glued to the case and update you with any new findings that come to light.
RIP YNW Sakchaser. RIP YNW Juvy https://youtu.be/TGIp4H_JvZg (16:39-16:48) https://youtu.be/phODj9ft7r8 (4:01-4:15) https://youtu.be/TGIp4H_JvZg (13:01-13:18)
Insider Hotspot Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRomM7ZedDRRo8bPBG8XuFA/videos
Chad is a professional journalist specializing in Hip-Hop culture and writing music reviews.
