In a major development in the ongoing YNW Melly double murder case, co-defendant YNW Bortlen (Cortlen Henry) has officially accepted a plea deal that could reshape the future of the case.
Bortlen was facing two counts of first-degree murder with a firearm and two counts of accessory after the fact, tied to the 2018 shooting deaths of YNW Juvy and YNW Sakchaser. He was also battling separate witness tampering charges stemming from a 2023 case.
Under the plea agreement, Bortlen will serve 10 years in prison, followed by 6 years of probation. With this deal in place, he avoids a potential life sentence if convicted at trial.
The plea has sparked speculation about whether Bortlen will testify in YNW Melly’s upcoming retrial, which is now officially scheduled to begin in January 2027, after multiple delays and a mistrial earlier in the year.
While Bortlen has previously maintained his loyalty even dropping bars saying he’d never flip this move marks a significant shift in the legal battle surrounding one of hip-hop’s most closely watched cases.
Photo: Mindy Small / Getty Images Entertainment / Getty Images
YNW Bortlen is finally speaking out; not in an interview, but through bars. In a newly released freestyle, the rapper addresses the legal heat surrounding the YNW camp and makes it clear where he stands.
“10 toes down, what I look like takin’ a deal that’d hurt my boys,” Bortlen raps, seemingly shutting down speculation that he might cooperate with authorities in connection to the high-profile double murder case involving YNW Melly.
The track comes amid renewed attention on the case as Melly awaits retrial, and rumors swirl around plea deals and courtroom drama. Bortlen’s message? Loyalty over everything.
“Stop playin’,” he spits with conviction and a warning to doubters and internet detectives.
Check out YNW Bortlen's freestyle below.
Drop your comments below on your thoughts of YNW Bortlen's freesyle and current situation with YNW Melly's double murder retrial.
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