Miami, Florida – The Florida attorney’s office will seek the death penalty for rapper YNW Melly if he is found guilty of shooting two friends of his in an incident in October 2018, local media reported on Monday.
The rapper, 19, is charged with first-degree murder of Anthony Williams, 21, and Christopher Thomas Jr., 19, on October 26.
The murder, which was motivated by financial reasons, “was especially heinous or cruel, he committed the murder in a cold, calculated and premeditated manner,” the prosecution said in court documents.
The musician, whose real name is Jamell Demons, faces murder charges along with rapper Cortlen Henry, who allegedly made it appear that the victims had been shot from a moving vehicle, police said.
Williams and Thomas Jr., who police say were “close friends” of Demons, died at Memorial Hospital Miramar, northwest of Miami, to where they were transferred by Henry.
The victims, aspiring rappers, had recently moved from Vero Beach to Broward County, in southeast Florida, with a view to raising their musical career.
Both Demons and Henry were arrested last February and face charges of first-degree murder.
YNW Melly published his first studio album “We All Shine” last January and was preparing to begin his first national tour. (EFEUSA)