YNW Melly Charged With Witness Tampering in Double-Murder Case
UPDATE (OCT. 6):
YNW Melly allegedly used the names of Rihanna and A$AP Rocky as code words when referencing the witness he and YNW Bortlen are accused of tampering with.
According to a police affidavit obtained by XXL, Terrence Mathis, the inmate accused of contacting YNW Bortlen on behalf of YNW Melly, referred to Melly’s ex-girlfriend, Mariah Hamilton, as "Rihanna" during phone calls and texts in which they allegedly plotted to keep her from testifying. Police documents specifically mention multiple occasion back in April where Mathis placed three-way messages on Melly's behalf to Bortlen. In one exchange, Mathis refers to Hamilton as Rihanna.
"Tell her keep vibin in the Maybach like she been doing," Mathis allegedly texted Bortlen, which police say is code for Hamilton not appearing in court.
In another text exchange days later, Melly is said to have referenced Hamilton as "A$AP Rocky's baby mama."
Hamilton did not testify at trial.
UPDATE (Oct. 4):
More details have emerged concerning YNW Melly and YNW Bortlen being charged with witness tampering in their double-murder case.
According to a police affidavit obtained by XXL, authorities are accusing Melly and Bortlen of communicating on the phone through another inmate, Terrence Mathis, to dissuade Melly's ex-girlfriend, Mariah Hamilton, and her mother, Felicia Holmes, from testifying against the rapper. Police say Bortlen and Mathis exchanged more than 60 phone calls between March and August of 2023 and used codes to hide their intentions.
Last month, Hamilton accused police of threatening to arrest her if she did not give up information on Melly in connection to the murders of Chris "YNW Juvy" Thomas and Anthony "YNW Sakchaser" Williams in 2018.
ORIGINAL STORY (Oct. 4):
YNW Melly has been charged witness tampering in connection to his double-murder case.
YNW Melly Hit With Witness Tampering Charge
YNW Melly is scheduled to be retried for double-murder charges after his first case ended in a mistrial back in July. On Wednesday (Oct. 4), the embattled rapper was hit with an additional charge of witness tampering, according to police records obtained by XXL. Details about the new charges have yet to be released.
XXL has reached out to YNW Melly's attorney and the Florida State Attorneys Office for comment.
Read More: What's Next for YNW Melly as He Faces New Trial in Double-Murder Case
YNW Bortlen Charged With Witness Tampering
Melly's charge comes a day after his codefendant YNW Bortlen was hit with the same charge. Bortlen, who has been out on bond since he was arrested in 2019, was reportedly taken into custody following a raid on his home. Bortlen is being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in Florida.
Bortlen, born Henry Cortlen, is preparing for his first trial in the deaths of Chris "YNW Juvy" Thomas and Anthony "YNW Sakchaser" Williams in October of 2018, which is slated to begin in January of 2024.
YNW Melly is preparing for his second trial, after the first one ended in a mistrial on July 22. His retrial has been scheduled to start on Oct. 9. Police say Melly shot and killed Juvy and Sakchaser, while Bortlen drove the bodies to the hospital and told authorities they were drive-by shooting victims. Along with first-degree murder charges, Bortlen also faces two charges of accessory after the fact.
