Mistrial declared after jury deadlocked in YNW Melly's murder trial

July 22 (UPI) -- A mistrial in rapper YNW Melly's murder trial was declared Saturday when a jury remained deadlocked three days into deliberations.

The musician, whose legal name is Jamell Demons, was arrested in February 2019 for the October 2018 shooting deaths of Anthony Williams, 21, and 19-year-old Christopher Thomas, Jr.

YNW Melly, who was 19 at the time, was charged with two counts of first-degree murder for the killings and for trying to cover up the scene. Williams and Thomas were also aspiring rappers from the YNW collective and childhood friends of the musician.

The rapper, now 24, remained "stone-faced" as the jurors walked into the courtroom Saturday and suppressed a smile when it was revealed there was no verdict, the Miami Herald reported.

"We are still unable to reach a unanimous decision," the jury wrote to Broward Circuit Court Judge John Murphy. Earlier in the day, the juror had asked to review some of the evidence but remained deadlocked, WTVJ reported.

The jury on Friday, the second day of deliberations, had asked Murphy what the options were if it remained deadlocked and was urged to continue deliberating.

"We appreciate the fact you were here and ready to serve," Murphy said Friday.

YNW Melly had pleaded not guilty to his charges and his case is among the first being considered since a law passed in Florida lowering the threshold for a death sentence from a unanimous vote to an 8-4 jury vote.