YNW Melly’s legal team is reportedly receiving the help of Casey Anthony for the rapper’s double-murder retrial that’s set for January.
According to a report from TMZ on Friday (Nov. 6), Casey has been working as a research assistant for the private investigator, Pat McKenna, who was hired by Melly’s attorneys.
Casey first made national headlines in 2008 when her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee, was reported missing in Florida. Casey initially claimed the child had been taken by a babysitter, but she was later arrested and charged with murder after Caylee’s remains were discovered near the family’s home.
Her 2011 trial was highly publicized, with a jury ultimately acquitting her of murder, aggravated child abuse and aggravated manslaughter. She was, however, convicted of four counts of providing false information to law enforcement, two of which were later overturned. Since her acquittal, Casey has maintained ties to the legal field by working alongside the aforementioned Pat McKenna, who led the investigative team for her defense.
As for Melly, the rapper is facing two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the October 2018 deaths of his close friends and fellow YNW rappers Anthony Williams, known as YNW Sakchaser, and Christopher Thomas Jr., known as YNW Juvy. Prosecutors allege Melly shot and killed both men inside a vehicle before he and his co-defendant, Cortlen Henry, known as YNW Bortlen, staged the scene to make it appear as though they were victims of a drive-by shooting.
Melly’s first trial ended in a mistrial in July 2023 after jurors were unable to reach a unanimous verdict. In September 2025, Henry pleaded no contest to accessory after the fact and received a 10-year prison sentence, followed by six years of probation, as part of a deal that saw the murder charges against him dropped.
Melly has remained behind bars since his February 2019 arrest. His retrial is currently scheduled to begin on Jan. 6, 2027 in Broward County, Fla.
See the Current Status of Every Murdered Rapper’s Case
XXL takes a look at the current status of the cases of hip-hop murders that have occurred over the past 39 years.
