Earlier this week, Cortlen "YNW Bortlen" Henry accepted a plea deal in his double murder case just a day before his trial was scheduled to begin. He and his co-defendant YNW Melly were accused of killing their two associates, YNW Juvy and YNW SakChaser, back in 2018.
Bortlen was potentially looking at a life sentence. He was facing two first-degree murder charges, along with accessory after the fact and witness tampering charges. He pleaded no contest to the accessory after the fact charges and to two of the witness tampering charges. He'll spend ten years behind bars in addition to six years on probation.
In a new video shared by DJ Akademiks on Instagram, Bortlen breaks his silence on his decision to accept a plea deal. In a freestyle, he also shuts down any and all rumors that he turned his back on his peers. "What the f*ck I look like taking a deal that hurt my n****s?," he asked. "Free me and Melly."
YNW Bortlen Plea Deal
Bortlen's freestyle arrives just a day after an attorney for YNW Juvy's family, John M. Phillips, addressed the plea deal on Instagram.
"Justice for Juvy! Great day today in the YNW Melly double murder case," he wrote earlier this week. "YNW Bortlen was set to go to trial this week and took a plea deal to not only accessory after the fact but witness tampering. He was already adjudicated guilty by the judge and will be sentenced to 10 years minus time served or gain time, followed by 6 years probation. He is also giving a proffer, which means he will speak to the State. We similtaneously requested his deposition in the civil case."
Melly's retrial is currently scheduled to begin in January of 2027 after seeing multiple delays. His first trial began in June of 2023. It was ruled a mistrial due to the jury's inability to reach a unanimous decision.
