YNW Melly’s legal team has reportedly enlisted the assistance of Casey Anthony as the rapper prepares for his double-murder retrial scheduled for January.
According to a report published by TMZ on Friday (Nov. 6), Casey has been working as a research assistant to private investigator Pat McKenna, who was hired by Melly’s attorneys.
Casey first attracted nationwide attention in 2008 after her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee, was reported missing in Florida. She initially claimed that a babysitter had taken the child but was later arrested and charged with murder after Caylee’s remains were discovered near the family’s home.
Her 2011 trial attracted widespread media coverage, with a jury ultimately finding her not guilty of murder, aggravated child abuse, and aggravated manslaughter. However, she was convicted on four counts of providing false information to law enforcement, although two of those convictions were later overturned. Since her acquittal, Casey has maintained connections to the legal field, working alongside Pat McKenna, who previously led the investigative team for her defense.
Meanwhile, Melly is facing two counts of first-degree murder over 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 that Melly shot and killed both men inside a vehicle before he and his co-defendant, Cortlen Henry, better known as YNW Bortlen, staged the scene to make it appear as though they had been victims of a drive-by shooting.
Melly’s first trial ended in a mistrial in July 2023 after the jury failed 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. The agreement also resulted in the murder charges against him being dropped.
Melly has remained in custody since his arrest in February 2019. His retrial is currently scheduled to begin on Jan. 6, 2027, in Broward County, Florida.
