YNW Melly Won’t Face Retrial Until 2027 — Nearly a Decade Behind Bars

YNW Melly’s long-delayed double murder trial has been pushed back again, now set for January 2027, nearly eight years after his arrest.

Melly has been behind bars since February 2019 on first-degree murder charges. Prosecutors say he shot and killed Anthony “YNW Sakchaser” Williams and Christopher “YNW Juvy” Thomas Jr. in October 2018, while fellow rapper YNW Bortlen allegedly staged a drive-by to cover it up. Bortlen will be tried separately.

The trial was supposed to begin September 10th, but Judge Martin S. Fein postponed it following an appeals court order to pause proceedings while disputes over what evidence can be presented are resolved. Both prosecutors and Melly’s defense team requested the pause, but his attorneys strongly object to the lengthy delay.

“We’re disappointed that today’s hearing was yet another win for the State of Florida, allowing more time to subject my client to inhumane treatment,” attorney Raven Liberty told Billboard. “Every American should be concerned about this abuse of the justice system and basic Constitutional rights.”

This case has faced repeated setbacks. The original trial in 2023 ended in a mistrial after the jury deadlocked. A retrial planned for October that year was postponed over evidentiary disputes, with the latest September date now scrapped.

Judge Fein has previously noted Melly has been in custody for over 2,200 days, urging prosecutors to keep trial dates. Still, appeals over evidence have stalled progress.