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Randall Smith's trial postponed for murder of JSU student

The trial of a man charged in the killing of a Jackson State University student nearly two years ago is not moving forward Monday, according to a court administrator.

In May 2023, a Hinds County grand jury indicted Randall Smith on first-degree murder charges for the shooting death of 22-year-old Flynn Brown. Smith, a native of New Orleans, Louisiana, was 20 years old at the time of the alleged crime.

Previous Clarion Ledger reports said Smith allegedly shot Brown after an argument began over donuts. Smith previously said he killed Brown in self-defense.

Hinds County District Court Judge Adrienne Wooten ordered July 16 that the murder trial of Smith, the defendant, begin at 1 p.m. Monday, Nov. 4, at the Hinds County Courthouse.

However, Wooten's court administration told the Clarion Ledger on Monday that Smith was “not moving forward with the case.” The administrator said Smith is “not first” on the court’s hearing list.

The court counted Smith among 40 to 50 defendants in Wooten's series of trials.

Smith claims self-defense: After confirming at a preliminary hearing that he shot the victim

The Clarion Ledger reached out to Smith's defense attorney and the prosecution for more details about the delay, but received only a response from the prosecution.

Hinds County Assistant District Attorney Gwen Agho told the Clarion Ledger via phone call Monday afternoon that there were a total of 80 cases on the docket for the week. Agho said when it comes to judicial procedural matters, the court determines case priority based on several factors such as the age of the case, the nature of the case – violence, burglary, etc. – and whether the defendant is incarcerated. Agho said when a defendant requests a speedy trial, it can also result in their case being moved to the top of the docket.

“Every case gets a trial date; However, there are only 52 weeks in the year and it takes at least a week to get a test. So, in order for everyone to have a trial date, the court sets the same trial date or trial week for multiple cases,” Agho said. “…It’s just the court trying to be fair and give everyone their day in court.”

It is unknown when the next court date for Smith's trial is scheduled to begin.

Court documents state that Brown was found dead in a parked vehicle on the JSU campus on December 2, 2022.

“Mr. Brown was shot once in the head, wrapped in a blanket and drugged from his seventh-floor room at the Dixon Hall Dormitory. “He was drugged through the lobby of Dixon Hall through the front door and thrown into a Dodge Challenger,” court records state.

According to Brown's high school coach, Brown was offered a spot on the JSU football team by then-JSU coach Deion Sanders. Brown was a two-year starter at running back and cornerback in high school. He had 227 yards and two touchdowns — one of the best performances in school history — in a first-round playoff loss in 2018, his senior season. He also set the school record with four touchdowns in a game in 2018.

After high school, Brown went on to play football at Lackawanna College in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He arrived at Jackson State in the spring of 2022. He had been training with the soccer team and secured a roster spot for next season, said Mount Olive assistant soccer coach Sirajj Ziyad.

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