YNW Melly and Bortlen Hit with Witness Tampering in Double Murder Trial

On Monday, October 2, 2023, YNW Bortlen found himself in handcuffs, arrested in Miami for alleged witness tampering in YNW Melly's double murder trial. However, as the sun sets on Wednesday, October 4th, we are met with another shocking twist in this high-profile case. YNW Melly himself is now facing charges of witness tampering. It's a significant development that has reverberated across legal circles and beyond.

Details surrounding the new charges against Melly, which were revealed on the Broward Sheriff's Office website late Tuesday night, have been kept tightly under wraps. YNW Melly is now facing an additional witness tampering charge in his double murder trial, which comes hot on the heels of the arrest of YNW Bortlen on similar tampering charges.

These new charges have further heightened tensions between the prosecution and the defense team representing the young rapper, known for hit song “Murder on My Mind.” Both sides are scheduled to appear in court on Friday, October 6th, for a hearing to decide whether Broward Circuit Judge John J. Murphy will recuse the State Attorney's Office from handling the case. Prosecutors have faced allegations of intentionally withholding damning evidence against Miramar Police Detective Mark Moretti, the lead investigator in the case.

The stakes couldn't be higher for YNW Melly, as he faces the possibility of the death penalty if convicted of the double murders.

Just two days prior, YNW Bortlen, the co-defendant of YNW Melly, was apprehended in Miami on a warrant from Broward County, also related to alleged witness tampering in Melly's double murder trial. The timing of both arrests is uncanny and has raised eyebrows in the legal community.

The arrest warrant for Bortlen, as obtained by Long Crime Network, states that from approximately April 10, 2023, to July 22, 2023, Cortlen Henry, also known as Bortlen, engaged in misleading conduct with others, with the intention of inducing them to withhold testimony. The alleged witness was reportedly summoned to testify in the jury trial of Jamell Maurice Demons, alias YNW Melly. The timing of these events is critical, as jury selection for Melly's trial began in mid-April and ended with a mistrial declared on July 22nd.

Unlike Melly, Bortlen had not been in jail since the initial charges were brought against him for the double murder of his close friends, YNW Juvy and YNW Sakchaser. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and jail overcrowding, Bortlen was placed under house arrest and monitored with an ankle tracking device, according to court records. Earlier this year, he was approved for a change of address, though the details remain sealed. In March, a judge modified his release conditions, allowing him to attend church for two hours each week, with the stipulation that he remain at home at all other times. Despite a request from his attorney for further modifications, a judge denied the request in June.

Last week, YNW Bortlen released a music video titled “Our Year,” in which he cryptically mentioned Melly's release with the lyrics, “Melly will be out this year, now that's perfect timing.” Despite facing identical charges, Bortlen and Henry's trials were separated after prosecutors announced their intention to seek the death penalty against Melly, while Bortlen potentially faces a life sentence.

In Melly's first trial, prosecutors presented evidence to the jury, alleging that Melly had shot and killed Juvy and Sakchaser inside a car, with Bortlen serving as the driver. Surveillance footage showed all four individuals leaving a studio together in the early morning hours of October 2018. Later that day, Bortlen arrived at a Miami-area hospital, claiming to be the victim of a drive-by shooting, with Juvy and Sakchaser already deceased inside the car. Investigators later reconstructed a grim double homicide narrative that appeared to be constructed on false claims. Testimony in court indicated that the evidence pointed to the fatal shots being fired inside the vehicle, debunking the notion of a drive-by shooting.

Jury selection for YNW Melly's upcoming trial is scheduled to commence next week, on October 9th, with the state aiming to have a jury in place by early November. Meanwhile, YNW Bortlen's trial, originally set for this fall, has been postponed to January 2024. It is expected that Bortlen will be transferred from Miami-Dade County to Broward County in the coming days for his initial court appearance.

As this legal drama unfolds, the world watches closely, awaiting the next chapter in the YNW Melly and YNW Bortlen saga. The complexity of the case, the serious charges, and the celebrity status of those involved make this a trial of immense public interest, and the outcome will undoubtedly reverberate for years to come.