YNW Melly Associate Pleads Not Guilty in Double Murder Case

YNW Melly associate YNW Bortlen, born Cortlen Henry, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of accessory after the fact. He entered the not guilty plea during his arraignment hearing on Monday (March 11).

Bortlen was arrested one day before Melly on Feb. 12 for the murder of their friends and fellow members of their YNW rap collective. In the shooting, which took place on Oct. 26, 2018, 21-year-old YNW Sakchaser (born Anthony Williams) and 19-year-old YNW Juvy (Christopher Thomas Jr.) were shot and killed and the attack was labeled a drive-by. Authorities believe Melly shot and killed the two men, and that Bortlen helped Melly make the scene appear as a drive-by shooting—which was the pair's original story.

According to documents filed by Miramar Police Department investigators on Feb. 14, evidence suggests that Melly and Bortlen made up the drive-by story as a cover after Melly, who was sitting in the left rear passenger seat, shot the two men from inside the Jeep Compass that all four were riding in. Police also believe that Melly and Bortlen drove around with the bodies in the car for an extended period of time in an effort to come up with the drive-by story before taking them to the hospital.

Melly, who is currently in Broward County Jail, entered a not guilty plea to two counts of first-degree murder on Tues., March 5.

This news arrives after a video surfaced of YNW Melly's mother, Jamie Demons-King, claiming that Sakchaser threatened her with a gun. It is unclear when the video was recorded, but, because she's speaking on Sakchaser as if he were still a threat, it would appear that it was before his death.

You can view YNW Bortlen's charges and his pleas below. A trial date has not yet been set.

Broward Sheriff's Office

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