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Carjacking defense: Wrong man charged

A jury will continue deliberations tomorrow in the Deandre Smith's carjacking trial after spending about four hours sequestered Thursday.

Smith, 26, a Detroit resident, is charged with stealing a 2002 green Chevrolet Malibu at gunpoint from an MSU student Oct. 31, 2005, in Ramp 2, near Bessey Hall.

The two-day trial ended Thursday at Lansing's 30th Judicial Circuit Court, amid questions surrounding whether Smith is the right Deandre Smith to be charged in the case. There are about seven or eight Deandre Smiths with driver's licenses in the state, Prosecutor Nick Bostic said.

Jerridd Thomas testified the Smith on trial was not the same Deandre Smith who showed up at his home the night of the carjacking. Thomas, 19, is an acquaintance of Smith's who he met five years ago when they participated in a work project.

"I've never seen him before in my life," he said. He added that Smith he knew had a different skin tone than the defendant.

Thomas said he worked with Smith for about a month three years before Smith called Thomas to hang out the night of the carjacking. Smith was driving a green Malibu identical to the car stolen from MSU's campus and used one of the victim's phones to contact Thomas, he said.

Police pulled phone records and found Thomas within a month of the carjacking, who told police Smith was the man who called him.

He said he hadn't talked to Smith since the incident.

During closing arguments, Bostic challenged Thomas' credibility and recalled Tuesday's testimony from the victims who adamantly identified Smith in court.

Defense attorney George Betts said there's not enough evidence to tie Smith to the carjacking.

"He's not the right Deandre Smith," Betts said.

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