Before his arrest for double murder in 2019, YNW Melly was one of the most promising names in rap. Raised by a single mother in Gifford, Fla., he uploaded his first songs to SoundCloud in 2015.

YNW Melly’s ex-girlfriend was never charged with a crime when she was arrested in January, but the arrest has still ruined her life, her lawyer said in court papers filed this week. Broward ...