Trial Resumes In Boyd Anderson High Murder Case
FT. LAUDERDALE (CBS4) – Best friends are now on opposite sides in the murder trial of a teen accused of killing a high school student.
In the early morning hours of April 3, 2009 Greg Smith, 16, and several of his friends were standing around outside the high after attending a talent show; they were waiting for ride home.
A car pulled up and Janard Orange, who was 18 at the time, along with Terrance James and two other people reportedly robbed Smith and his friends at gun point.
"He kicked me in the ribs, he reached into my pockets," recalled Cameron Mitchell on the stand Tuesday.
"He was telling the shooter 'Take everything, just please don't shoot me'," testified Gregory Mendez.
James, who's Orange's best friend, testified today, he was driving the car that night. "What happened?" asked the prosecutor. "A shot was fired,"responded James. "By who?" he was aksed. "Janard," he responded.
The single shot pierced Smith's chest, he died on the scene.
Broward Sheriff's detectives who investigated the shooting said Orange shot Smith because he wanted to increase his street credibility. They said he looked up to Terrance James who has a history of criminal activity including attempted murder. Orange, in their opinion, wanted to emulate James and emulate him.
The prosecution ran into a bit of a stumbling block on Tuesday when none of the witnesses said they could identify any of the 'robbers' or 'shooter'. It was unclear if that was because the 'robbers' had their faces covered or if they felt scared because of the alleged threats made by Orange and his family.
This case has been filled with drama in the courtroom. On Tuesday, the family of Janard Orange was banned from the proceedings after one them got into a scuffle in the hallway outside the courtroom with the mother of the victim.
Tuesday, a cousin came back. A court reporter found him speaking to a juror in the hallway during a break. That cousin was hauled in before the judge. He said he told the juror that Orange was not loved as a child and that he was a good guy. The judge dismissed that juror.
The trial is expected to wrap up on Thursday. Orange could face a life sentence if convicted.
