Photo Credit: YNW Melly/Instagram

Rapper YNW Melly was arrested in February along with Cortlen Henry for an elaborate scheme to kill his two best friends and cover it up. He shot up his car afterwards and carried them to the hospital dead for treatment. Shell casings are what gave him away and the fact his testimony didn’t match forensic evidence. A couple months later and now prosecutors are looking to prove “beyond a reasonable doubt” that the 19 year old rapper whose real name is Jamell Demons committed homicide “in a cold, calculated and premeditated manner” for financial gain according to a State Notice of Intent to Seek the Death Penalty.

The day after the October 26th shooting he made an Instagram post mourning their loss with heartbreak emojis. “They Took My Brothers From Me Over Jealousy,” he wrote. “I know y’all watching over me.” Then in February he turned himself in citing “rumors and lies” in another post. “I want you guys to know I love you and appreciate every single one of y’all,” he wrote. “[A] couple months ago I lost my two brothers by violence and now the system want to find justice.. unfortunately a lot of rumors and lies are being said but no worries god is with me and my brother.”

The unfortunate part about all of this is how his career was just rising. He had an interview with Billboard just a week before his arrest where he spoke about coming from a small town in Florida, how he connected with Kanye West and most importantly, referring to them as his “day one brothers.” He also had just started a concert tour. That was a long way from the days of him growing up in Florida without many clothes and switching them around, accounting for his unique style he has today. We’ll be keeping you all updated on how this case progresses.