On the fourth day of the murder trial for Travoin Devonte Smith, witnesses testified to seeing Smith along with his co-defendants Sarah Redden and Ronald Anthony Jr. together on the afternoon of the murder. The trio are charged with first-degree murder in the death of Melissa Huggins-Jones.
Amy Radley, who worked as the manager of Ben Jerry’s in the North Hills mall in 2013, testified that she saw Smith and Redden as they completed employment applications at the store.
Radley testified that Smith and Redden were arguing over the back of the application which asks questions about past criminal offenses.
“They were saying, ‘No, you have to put that (criminal history),” said Radley.
Radley said that the pair were being disruptive and she stepped over to where they were sitting and asked them to leave.
“They were just arguing in the back of the store,” said Radley.
She added that she has no tolerance for that.
Radley testified that she had not started her shift yet when she asked Smith and Redden to leave. After asking them to leave, Radley testified that she then went next door to a Starbucks to get coffee before her shift started.
Radley testified that as she was speaking with an employee in the Starbucks store Redden and Smith were joined by Ronald Anthony Jr. Bradley said she could see Redden and Smith speaking with Anthony Jr. and pointing at her. Bradley said that Anthony Jr. then entered the Starbucks and confronted Radley.
A security guard at the mall was called over by Radley and he escorted the trio off the North Hills mall property.
Next to testify was Sarah Melvin who was server at the Bonefish Grill in North Hills. She told the court who she saw the trio sitting together at a patio of the restaurant between 10:15 and 11:30 p.m. Melvin said she was busy closing the restaurant but said that when the trio left, they left an assortment of items that included safety pins, push pins and golf tees.
Michael William Hupp who was conducting the Marijuana Anonymous meeting at St. Marks Church just off Six forks Road, testified about the MA meeting attended by the Smith, Redden and Anthony Jr. on the night of the murder.
When Melvin finished her testimony, the judge closed the courtroom to everyone but court personnel and the jury was eventually dismissed at about 1 p.m.
The trial is expected to continue on Monday morning.
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