I DID THAT’: YNW MELLY’S DEFENSE COLLAPSES AS CO-DEFENDANT FLIPS, EX-GIRLFRIEND BETRAYS HIM, AND DEVASTATING NEW EVIDENCE EMERGES

The murder trial of rapper YNW Melly, born Jamal Demons, has spiraled into a catastrophic legal and personal nightmare. Following the mistrial, the new legal proceedings have been marked by a relentless offensive from prosecutors, culminating in a series of devastating blows that threaten to seal Melly’s fate, potentially landing him a life sentence regardless of the final murder verdict. The most significant turning points include the betrayal of a key co-defendant, the forced testimony of his ex-girlfriend, and the emergence of shocking evidence, including a text message that allegedly reads, “I did that.”

Melly, who appeared in plain clothes for the first time in months as the jury selection process began, is reportedly under intense pressure. His legal team is scrambling to find a defense against the relentless wave of new evidence. The prosecution is attempting to establish Melly’s involvement with a “red street team” by tying him to the Young Thug YSL RICO case, citing social media posts that show the use of similar slang and hand signs to establish an alleged gang affiliation. This line of attack, and the mounting pressure, led to an explosive moment in the courtroom where Melly was seen yelling at his lawyer, reportedly stating, “I don’t care, I’m not in no gang. They can’t prove that.”

The Ultimate Betrayal: YNW Bortlen Flips

The foundation of Melly’s defense crumbled when his co-defendant, YNW Bortlen (Cortlen Henry), accepted a plea deal. Bortlen pled no contest to accessory after the fact and was sentenced to 10 years plus six years of probation. Crucially, as part of this agreement, Bortlen committed to a “proffer”—a term that means he is “talking.”

Legal experts have labeled this a “gunner plea,” explaining that Bortlen must provide a factual basis for the accessory charge, effectively telling a story of how he committed the accessory crime. This narrative, by legal definition, must confirm that the underlying murder occurred and that Bortlen assisted in covering it up. Legal analysts contend that even if Bortlen does not explicitly name Melly, his required confession of the details of the crime, specifically that the victims were affected by a situation that happened inside the car, provides the prosecution with the exact narrative they need to find Melly guilty. This dramatic turn has been described by one lawyer as Bortlen performing a “triple Lindy,” flipping to become a “cheese eater” to avoid a life sentence, making Melly’s case significantly more precarious.

Witness Tampering and Ex-Girlfriend’s Forced Testimony

In a parallel and equally devastating development, the prosecution successfully targeted Melly’s ex-girlfriend, Mariah Hamilton, for witness tampering. Hamilton had reportedly fled the United States before Melly’s original trial to avoid testifying. When she attempted to re-enter the country to see her family, she was arrested at Miami International Airport by US Border Patrol.

Held in jail, she was given an agonizing ultimatum: agree to testify against Melly, or remain locked up. She instantly accepted the deal, signaling the worst news possible for Melly. This move was predicated on evidence found in her iCloud account, which allegedly shows Melly forced her not to testify via continuous jail phone calls—a crime known as witness tampering. The state has since filed six new charges against Melly related to this, including witness tampering and conspiracy to commit tampering. These charges alone carry a life sentence in prison, meaning Melly could theoretically be acquitted of the murder charges but still face life imprisonment for his attempts to silence a witness. Even the father of one of the victims, YNW Juvie, publicly exposed Melly’s alleged communication methods to avoid phone monitoring, which included passing notes and using coded language like “Rihanna” for the ex-girlfriend.

The Smoking Gun: Physical Evidence and Melly’s Text

The new trial is now armed with compelling physical evidence that directly implicates Melly. Prosecutors presented footage showing Melly exiting the studio and getting into the back left seat of the Jeep used in the incident. This detail is crucial because the official court document states that the “direction of items traveling from left to right in the car supports the claim that they originated from the back left seat where YNW Melly was positioned.” The mother of YNW Juvie corroborated this by testifying that she saw Melly get into the rear driver’s side seat.

Perhaps most damning of all, the prosecution presented a text message allegedly from Melly to a social media account, PC Gambino. When asked if he was okay, the response from Melly’s account was reportedly, “I did that,” followed by a smiley face emoji.

Further sealing his image of culpability, the court was shown footage of Melly dancing in a parking lot, recording a music video only five hours after the passing of his two best friends, showing “not even an ounce of sadness.”

Melly’s defense is now under immense pressure, while his co-defendant, YNW Bortlen, also faces legal jeopardy for tampering. Evidence from a raid on Bortlen’s home included images of alleged notes detailing where specific jurors were sitting and what they looked like. This discovery suggests an intent to intimidate or harm jurors, with one commentator calling it “sloppy” and equivalent to “having the surveillance tape in your DVD player.”

As the new trial begins, YNW Melly finds himself trapped by the betrayal of his closest associates and the weight of physical evidence. He is no longer just fighting a murder charge, but also a witness tampering charge that, thanks to the sheer sloppiness and desperation surrounding the alleged cover-up, appears to have already secured his fate.