Broward prosecutors defend YNW Melly investigation ahead of courtroom showdown
Broward prosecutors coming to the aid of the lead investigator in a high-profile murder trial are openly questioning the accuracy, reliability and consistency of a potential defense witness in the case.
That witness, it turns out, is a fellow prosecutor.
Lawyers on both sides of the case are preparing for another courtroom confrontation on Friday, one that could either cement the current prosecution roster for Jamell “YNW Melly” Demons’ upcoming retrial or see the case assigned to prosecutors from another county entirely.
Demons, 24, is accused of murdering two longtime friends in October 2018, fellow rappers Anthony “YNW Sakchaser” Williams and Christopher “YNW Juvy” Thomas. His first trial ended last summer with a hung jury, and his retrial has been beset by numerous controversies.
The most prominent of them involves accusations leveled by Assistant State Attorney Michelle Boutros, who accused Miramar Police Detective Mark Moretti of plotting to lie about the seizure of a cellphone while he was executing a search warrant on the defendant’s mother in October 2022.
Defense lawyers want Boutros to testify so they can undermine Moretti’s credibility. As lead detective, he was called on to lay out the murder case for jurors, tying the forensic evidence to the circumstantial details pulled from cell tower records, social media pages and text messages.
Prosecutors spent the bulk of a 17-page motion discrediting Boutros’ testimony, arguing that Boutros misinterpreted what Moretti said and mischaracterized how it was handled by her office.
They also argued that the seizure of the cellphone wasn’t part of the murder investigation — prosecutors believed Demons’ mother was engaged in efforts to tamper with witnesses in her son’s case. She was never charged with that offense, but Demons and co-defendant Cortlen Henry were.
The “lie” that Moretti allegedly plotted in front of Boutros was never carried out in testimony or official reports. Had Boutros not come forward, it would have remained unknown.
Boutros said Tuesday she had been barred from discussing the case with news media.
Defense lawyers are planning to argue that the Broward State Attorney’s Office cannot ethically try a case in which one of its own employees is a witness for the defense.
Friday’s hearing will be in front of Broward Circuit Judge John Murphy. Demons’ retrial is tentatively scheduled to begin in March.
Rafael Olmeda can be reached at rolmeda@sunsentinel.com or 954-356-4457.