Cortlen Henry, the man accused of helping Jamell “YNW Melly” Demons stage a double murder scene to make it look like a drive-by shooting nearly seven years ago, pleaded no contest Tuesday to two counts of accessory after the fact, a tacit admission that eliminates the chance he’ll spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Henry, 26, will not be required to testify against Melly, his longtime friend, as part of the negotiated plea, according to his attorney Fred Haddad. But he will give a sworn statement that will explain his role in the 2018 shooting deaths of Anthony “YNW Sakchaser” Williams and Christopher “YNW Juvy” Thomas.
Until he gives that statement, it will not be clear how his change of heart will affect the retrial of Melly, who faces the possibility of death or life in prison if convicted of committing the two murders.
As part of the agreement, Henry, whose stage name is “YNW Bortlen,” was sentenced to 10 years in prison, of which he has already served four. He will then serve six years of probation.
The decision puts an end to a key part of the legal drama surrounding the deaths of Williams and Thomas, who were gunned down in a Jeep driven by Henry after a late-night recording session in October 2018. The night started with the four rappers, childhood friends, at a recording studio in Fort Lauderdale. Surveillance footage shows Henry getting into the driver’s seat of the Jeep, Melly sitting directly behind him, and the victims sitting in the front and rear seats of the passenger side.
A couple of hours later, Henry frantically pulled up in front of Memorial Hospital in Miramar announcing that his friends had been the victims of a drive-by shooting. Williams and Thomas were pronounced dead on arrival. Melly was nowhere to be found.
Inbound bullet holes were found on the passenger side of the Jeep, but medical experts testified that the shots that killed Williams and Thomas came from inside the car, specifically from whomever was seated behind the driver.
Cortlen Henry, known as the rap star YNW Bortlen and co-defendant of YNW Melly, confers with his defense attorney Fred Haddad during a hearing in Broward County court on Tuesday. Henry pleaded no contest to accessory to murder in the shooting deaths of rappers Anthony “YNW Sakchaser” Williams and Christopher “YNW Juvy” Thomas Jr. Prosecutors say Henry was the driver when Melly opened fire, then helped stage the scene to look like a drive-by. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Prosecutors believe Melly targeted his old friends as part of a gang-related dispute and that the “YNW” rap collective had ongoing financial arguments behind the scenes of Melly’s rising popularity.
Melly faces either the death penalty or life in prison if he is found guilty of first-degree murder. Prosecutors were not seeking the death penalty against Henry. Jury selection in Henry’s trial was scheduled to start Wednesday if he did not accept the plea offer.
Prosecutors and investigators say Henry was the driver when Melly opened fire, then worked with Melly to make it look like a drive-by. Henry has also been charged with witness tampering for allegedly relaying messages from Melly to friends expected to take the stand during Melly’s first trial in 2023.
That trial ended with a hung jury, and plans for a retrial have been sidetracked by numerous legal issues, including allegations of prosecutorial misconduct and a lingering investigation into whether Melly’s main lawyer engaged in witness tampering herself — a suspicion that has yet to result in any criminal charge.
Late last month, Melly asked Broward Circuit Judge Martin Fein for permission to change lawyers, accusing prosecutors of forcing his hand by creating a conflict of interest with his outgoing legal team.
Melly’s retrial is currently scheduled for early 2027.
Rafael Olmeda can be reached at rolmeda@sunsentinel.com or 954-356-4457.
