A Wake County jury deliberated for just one and one-half hours on Tuesday and found Travion Devonte Smith guilty of first-degree murder. The jury heard the closing arguments in the matter after a one day delay due to inclement weather on Monday.
The jury will now decide if Smith will receive the death penalty in the matter.
Smith is one of three people accused in the murder of former Bladen County resident Melissa Huggins-Jones. Ronald Anthony Jr. has already pled guilty to first-degree murder and received a sentence of life without parole and Sarah Redden also faces a first-degree murder charge in the case.
During the closing arguments, Smith’s defense attorney told jurors that Smith and Anthony Jr. were breaking into unlocked cars on the night of the murder and Redden was acting as the look out. Smiths’ attorney argued that he did not commit the murder and said that Smith and Redden were simply there.
The defense told the jurors that Anthony Jr. exerted a strong influence over her client and that Smith did not tell the entire truth to the police during his interview.
Prosecutor Jason Waller argued that Smith and Anthony Jr. both climbed onto the balcony of Huggins-Jones’ apartment gaining access to her apartment through a sliding door. He said Redden acted as the look out for the duo.
Waller told jurors that Anthony Jr. did not force Smith to do anything that night.
Smith did not take the stand to testify in his own defense and the defense did not present any evidence nor call any witnesses in the case.
About Author
