Last month, Cortlen "YNW Bortlen" Henry accepted a plea deal in his double murder case just one day before his trial was set to begin. He, along with his co-defendant YNW Melly, was accused of murdering two associates in 2018. Bortlen could have spent life behind bars. As part of the deal, however, he'll only be in prison for ten years. Following his release, he'll be on probation for six years. His release date is currently September 22, 2033.
The sentence is now underway, and recently, Bortlen's latest mugshot surfaced online. Per No Jumper, he's just been transferred to the Madison Correctional Institution in Florida.
Following the plea deal, Bortlen shut down rumors that he turned his back on his co-defendant in a freestyle. "What the f*ck I look like taking a deal that hurt my n****s?," he asked at the time. "Free me and Melly."
YNW Melly Retrial
John M. Phillips, an attorney for alleged victim YNW Juvy's family, celebrated the plea deal in a social media post as the news began to circulate.
"Justice for Juvy! Great day today in the YNW Melly double murder case," he wrote. "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."
As for Melly, his retrial is currently expected to begin in January of 2027. His first trial started in June of 2023, but was ultimately ruled a mistrial after the jury failed to reach a unanimous decision. A few weeks ago, he also secured new lawyers, Drew Findling and Carey Haughwout.
