Broward Circuit Court Judge John Murphy has replaced the lead prosecutor, Kristine Bradley, in the double murder retrial of rapper YNW Melly, born Jamell Demons. The decision followed defense claims that the prosecution did not disclose previous accusations against the case’s lead detective, Mark Moretti, for potentially lying during evidence collection.
While Judge Murphy did not believe Bradley’s integrity was compromised, he agreed she couldn’t serve on the case if the defense intended to question her about Moretti’s credibility.
This development comes on the heels of defense motions requesting the removal of the entire Broward State Attorney’s Office and even the case’s dismissal. The defense’s concerns grew after revelations that Assistant State Attorney Michelle Boutros overheard Moretti asking a deputy to lie about a search warrant execution.
Jamie Benjamin, Demons’ attorney, emphasized the significance of this information for discrediting Moretti in Demons’ previous trial, which ended with a hung jury.
Melly, 24, is accused of the 2018 murders of Christopher “YNW Juvy” Thomas and Anthony “YNW Sakchaser” Williams. Prosecutors allege that Melly, following a recording session, orchestrated the killings to resemble a drive-by. He faces a potential death sentence if convicted.
