A former juror from the YNW Melly murder trial has come forward with explosive allegations, claiming that the jury was manipulated into a mistrial.
The juror, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Local 10 News that the majority of the jury wanted to convict the Florida rapper, whose real name is Jamell Demons, for the 2018 murders of his fellow YNW Collective rappers, Christopher “Juvy” Thomas Jr. and Anthony “Sakchaser” Williams.
The juror alleges that a single woman on the jury, who was determined to acquit Demons, was the cause of the chaos.
“From day one, she had issues with the foreperson selected, at one point crossing her arms and saying she was ‘Done!’ When another juror asked to not shut down and set her feelings aside, she exploded… She was explosive, manipulative, she was rude, she yelled insults at anyone who had a different opinion,” the former juror said.
The mistrial, declared on July 22 by Broward County Circuit Judge John J. Murphy, shocked many, especially given the evidence presented during the trial.
As reported by AllHipHop, the prosecution had presented an alleged confession text from Demons, reading “I did that. Shhh.”
The juror’s allegations paint a picture of a jury room in turmoil, with the woman in question allegedly pulling two other jurors aside on the last day of deliberation, convincing them to change their minds. When questioned about her actions, she reportedly exploded, hurling insults at the man who questioned her.
The juror’s decision to speak up was prompted by reports that Demons’s mother, Jamie Demons-King, claimed the jury was deadlocked at 9-3 in favor of acquittal.
The former juror insists that it was actually the opposite, with nine of the jurors believing Demons was guilty.
YNW Melly, who rose to fame with his single “Murder On My Mind,” was arrested alongside YNW Bortlen in February 2019.
He pleaded not guilty to two charges of first-degree murder the following month and was facing the death penalty.
Despite the mistrial, the case is far from over. According to AllHipHop, Demons’s defense team and prosecutors have agreed to start jury selection for the second trial on October 2.