YSL trial to end without any murder convictions after defendant takes plea deal

YSL defendant Damekion Garlington sentenced

YSL defendant Damekion Garlington was sentenced to 20 years in prison with 5 served after entering an Alford plea in his YSL case. The murder and attempted murder charges against him were dismissed.

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - After three years, 28 defendants, and countless days in court, Fulton County's YSL trial will wrap up with no murder convictions.

The longest-running trial in Georgia history is now down to one defendant after Demise McMullen pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of aggravated assault.

SEE MORE: Atlanta rapper Yak Gotti heads home from Fulton County Jail

The backstory:

The YSL case centered on allegations that Young Slime Life, a group founded by Atlanta rap star Young Thug, was not merely a music collective but a criminal enterprise responsible for a string of violent crimes. Prosecutors alleged the organization operated out of southeast Atlanta since 2012, committing acts of murder, drug trafficking, and weapons violations under the cover of a legitimate record label.

The investigation came to a head in May 2022, when Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis' office unsealed a 65-count indictment against Young Thug and 27 associates under Georgia’s RICO statute.

Judge Paige Reese Whitaker has has been visibly frustrated with the state's handling of the case and delays.

Key Defendants Included:

Jeffery Williams (Young Thug): Accused of co-founding and leading YSL. He initially faced eight criminal charges and was able to go home in late October 2024 after pleading guilty to gang, drug, and gun charges. He remains on probation.

Yak Gotti (Deamonte Kendrick): Charged with murder and other gang-related offenses. He was found not guilty on all charges.

Shannon Stillwell: Also charged with murder and weapons violations. He was found not guilty of racketeering, murder and gang-related charges in December. The jury found him guilty of just a charge of gun possession.

Nine other defendants, including the rapper Gunna, accepted plea deals before the trial began. Prosecutors dropped charges against one defendant after he was convicted of murder in an unrelated case. Twelve defendants were split from the original trial, and charges against six of them were dismissed in early December.

Earlier this month, defendant Damien Garlington got a murder charge dismissed after entering an Alford plea, which allows him to maintain his innocence while acknowledging that it is in his best interest to plead guilty.

MORE: YSL RICO trial defendant files class-action lawsuit over Fulton County Jail conditions

Controversial prosecutorial methods in the YSL Trial

Dig deeper:

Prosecutors drew ire for using song lyrics and social media posts in their case. Attorney Doug Weinstein, who represented Yak Gotti, said prosecutors targeted men who pursued music as a way out of hardship in economically "deprived" Atlanta areas and tried to "claw them back in, hold them back down."

"Whatever they may have done in their youth, and I would argue most of them didn’t do anything, to be targeted in this way by the prosecutors is just wrong," said Weinstein. "Whatever you think of their music — the violence, the misogynistic lyrics — that is not a reason to go after these guys."

Weinstein continued, adding, "People like my client, Mr. Kendrick, had to be incarcerated for 2 1/2 years or more, in the case of some of these defendants, for a crime that they didn’t do."

YSL RICO trial verdict: What happens next?

It might be the end for the state's longest-running court case, but the YSL RICO investigation is not yet over. Here's what happens now after Tuesday's verdict.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis prosecuted the case using Georgia’s broad anti-racketeering law. Critics say using that law caused a messy trial by roping in dozens of people with varying levels of alleged culpability. The anti-racketeering law allows prosecutors to present evidence that might otherwise not be allowed, which some defense attorneys say lets prosecutors present irrelevant material to the jury. It also often leads to people being held in jail longer for multiple reasons.

Atlanta defense attorney Andrew Fleischman, who was not involved in the case, said Willis could have secured guilty pleas years ago without a long, expensive trial if she hadn’t used the anti-racketeering law.

"She went for a home run, and she didn’t get it," said Fleischman.

One defendant remains

What's next:

With McMullen's plea deal, only Christian Eppinger's case remains to be fought over in court.

Earlier this year, Eppinger declined a plea deal for life in prison. He faces charges including attempted murder for allegedly shooting Atlanta Police Officer David Rodgers six times in February 2022, while the officer was trying to serve an arrest warrant. If convicted, he could face two life sentences plus 100 years.