Rapper YNW Melly tests positive for coronavirus in prison, files for restricted release
Rapper YNW Melly, who is currently awaiting trial in a South Florida jail, has tested positive for the coronavirus along with another inmate at the same prison. He is still awaiting trial for the double murder charges, to which he plead not guilty.
The rapper's diagnosis was confirmed via a statement on his Instagram that read, "Melly has tested positive for COVID-19 today while awaiting his trial in Broward County Jail."
As more prisons are reporting instances of the disease, many who are currently incarcerated have begun appealing for early release. And it appears Demons has followed suit. His Instagram statement ended stating, "He’ll be filing a motion for restricted release in hopes of better care due to any jails not being prepared to treat this new virus. He hopes for your support and to recover soon #prayformelly send positive energy to him please"
The rapper's Instagram account also shared a screenshot of a law.com article reporting the news that two Broward County Jail inmates had been infected with COVID-19. The article states that one inmate, who initially refused an unrelated yet recommended routine medical test following their arrest showed no signs of the disease after screening in March, but later tested positive at a hospital on April 1. The second inmate tested positive on Thursday, but no additional details were revealed.
Melly was charged with two counts of first-degree murder in 2019 in connection with the 2018 shooting deaths of two of his 'close friends' and fellow aspiring rappers, Anthony "YNW Sakchaser" Williams and Christopher "YNW Juvy" Thomas Jr.
The rapper, whose real name is Jamell Maurice Demons, shot to fame after uploading his music to SoundCloud when he was just 15. He would later go on to collaborate with Kanye West on the track 'Multiple Personalities', and is currently signed on to Young Thug's label and has continued to release music throughout his various stints in prison. In fact, 'Murder On My Mind', his biggest track to date, was written while the rapper was in prison.
Another rapper in the crew, Cortlen 'YNW Bortlen' Henry was also charged with the shooting and was alleged to have conspired with Demons to stage the double-murder and make it appear as if the two victims were injured in a drive-by shooting. Both Williams and Thomas Jr were fatally injured during the incident, succumbing to their wounds at the hospital that Henry allegedly drove them to. Demons turned himself in on February 13, 2019, with the young rapper denying that Henry and he were involved in the shooting. If found guilty, Demons could face the death penalty.
This is hardly Demons first run-in with the law, however, as he has previously been charged with and served time for crimes relating to possession of marijuana, drug paraphernalia, weapons and ammunition, and even served a year-long sentence in 2017 after he was charged with three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and one count of discharging a firearm in public.
Earlier on Thursday, controversial rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine was released early from prison over coronavirus fears.