Co-Defendant in YNW Melly Double Murder Case Faces Witness Tampering Charge

Cortlen “YNW Bortlen” Henry, the co-defendant of rapper YNW Melly in a double murder case, was arrested on a new charge of witness tampering on October 2, 2023. According to court documents, he allegedly tampered with at least one potential witness in the case, which involves the killing of two of their childhood friends and fellow YNW members, Anthony “YNW Sakchaser” Williams and Christopher “YNW Juvy” Thomas Jr., in 2018 .
Henry was out on bail before his residence was raided by the police. He is accused of helping YNW Melly stage the crime scene to look like a drive-by shooting after they allegedly shot and killed Williams and Thomas in a car . Both Henry and YNW Melly were charged with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of accessory after the fact. They pleaded not guilty and have been in jail since their arrest in February 2019.
Their first trial began in June 2023, but it ended in a mistrial after the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict. Nine jurors voted to acquit them and three voted to convict them . Their second trial is scheduled to start on October 9, 2023.
Witness tampering is a serious offense that can carry a prison sentence of up to 15 years in Florida. It is not clear how this new charge will affect the upcoming retrial of YNW Melly and YNW Bortlen. YNW Melly is a popular rapper who has collaborated with artists like Kanye West and Juice WRLD. His song “Murder on My Mind” became a hit after his arrest and has been certified quadruple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.