Wildlife content creator and social media personality Ty From The Wyld, whose real name is Yonas Girma, has spoken publicly for the first time since being cleared of the murder of Stephen Morrison. The statement, shared across a series of Instagram stories, comes days after a jury convicted Ellis Heather, also known as drill rapper Rack5, of murdering Morrison in Epping Forest in June 2020.

Morrison, who was known online as Zero Ls and was the brother of UK rapper Morrisson, was fatally stabbed after crossing paths with a music video shoot involving Heather and Girma. Prosecutors said Morrison was killed within minutes of disrupting the filming.

Following years of speculation and scrutiny surrounding the case, Girma used his first public statement since being cleared to reflect on the impact the allegations had on his life, his past involvement in street culture and gangs, and the lessons he hopes younger people can learn from his experience.

In the lengthy post, Girma revealed that just as he felt he was finally building the life he had worked hard for, everything changed when he was accused of a crime he says he did not commit.

He wrote that the accusation had the potential to alter his future forever and said he had spent considerable time reflecting on everything that had happened and the lives affected by the case.

Girma also addressed his own past, admitting he had not always made the right decisions.

"I’m not pretending I was an angel," he wrote.

"When I was younger I was angry, reckless and desensitised. I chose to be part of a world where violence and gangs felt normal. Those were my choices, and I own them."

Reflecting on that period of his life, Girma said he can now see how those decisions placed him on a path that could easily have ended very differently.

He went on to describe growing up around what he called the "unwritten street code", explaining how many young people become involved in that lifestyle without fully understanding the consequences.

According to Girma, there was an expectation to remain silent regardless of the circumstances.

"It didn't matter whether someone was your best friend or someone you'd only known for five minutes," he wrote. "You were expected to live by those rules. Forever. No matter what."

Looking back, Girma said he now recognises how powerful those beliefs can be and how they can keep people trapped long after they have decided they want something different from life.

He reflected on the reality that many young people are never warned that they may one day be expected to sacrifice their own freedom for people they are no longer close to simply because of loyalty to a code.

The wildlife presenter said there are many things he would change if he could go back, but acknowledged that nobody can rewrite the past.

"We can only decide who we want to be from today," he wrote.

Girma also used the statement to discuss the dramatic changes he has made in his own life over the past decade.

"The TY from five or even ten years ago probably wouldn't have understood the TY I am today," he said.

"But the TY I am today isn't the person I was five or ten years ago either."

He explained that after years of pursuing things that ultimately brought little meaning to his life, he found a new purpose through wildlife and conservation work.

"When I started chasing my passion for wildlife, I found something a lot more meaningful," he wrote. "I began a journey that took me around the world."

Girma said he wanted to prove that a person's background does not have to determine their future and hoped to show young people from similar communities that there are alternative paths available to them.

"A whole new world of opportunities opened up," he added.

In one of the most emotional sections of the statement, Girma said he hopes his experience serves as a warning to others about the long-term consequences of the choices they make.

"If this statement does anything I want it to remind young people that the choices you make today can shape the rest of your life," he wrote.

"The people you let into your life, the path you choose and the decisions you make can have consequences far beyond anything you imagine. I wish I'd understood that much earlier."

He ended the message with a direct appeal to young people, encouraging them to follow their ambitions and reject the idea that their circumstances define them.

"Choose your passions. Chase your dreams. Choose role models who bring out the best in you."

He continued: "Don't let anyone convince you that where you're from defines you or that your story has already been written. It hasn't. There is always another path."

Closing the statement, Girma thanked those who had stood by him throughout the legal process and the years that followed.

"To everyone that's supported me through all of this, thank you. I appreciate every single one of you."

The posts mark the first time Girma has publicly addressed the case since being cleared and offer an insight into how the experience has shaped his outlook on life, accountability and personal change.

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