YNW Melly learned his retrial will not start on October 2 as originally planned. Jury selection for the trial was pushed back to October 9 at a court hearing in Broward County, Florida on Friday (August 4).
According to NBC Miami, YNW Melly was in good spirits at the hearing. Footage showed him saying, “I’m coming home,” as he smiled in the courtroom.
Prosecutors accuse YNW Melly of killing his friends YNW Juvy and YNW Sakchaser in 2018. Authorities claim he shot the victims while all three men were inside the same vehicle.
The 24-year-old rapper, whose real name is Jamell Demons, was arrested for the murders in 2019. He pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder charges.
YNW Melly’s first murder trial began in June. It ended in a mistrial after jurors failed to reach a unanimous verdict in July.
The prosecution requested an October 2 start date for the retrial. The defense agreed to the date at a hearing on July 28, but the trial was rescheduled a week later.
Prosecutors sought to try YNW Melly alongside his co-defendant YNW Bortlen. The defense team objected since their client is facing the death penalty and YNW Bortlen is not.
YNW Bortlen, whose real name is Cortlen Henry, faces trial for allegedly helping stage a drive-by shooting to cover up the murders. He will be tried separately.