Chattanooga: Murder, robbery charges dropped against 3rd man charged in '09 rapper slaying

photo Julian Smith

Prosecutors have dropped murder and robbery charges against a third defendant who was charged in the 2009 home invasion shooting death of local rapper Robert "Brikk" Brown.

This morning prosecutors dropped seven charges, which included aggravated assault, especially aggravated robbery and felony murder against Julian Smith, 25.

Two credible witnesses told prosecutors that Smith was at another location at the time of the 33-year-old rapper's death.

Josquin Jackson, a friend of Brown's testified in the May 2012 trial of Grace and Talley that he and Brown were inside the 3929B Webb Oaks Court apartment of Harold Calloway listening to Brown's new hip hop recordings with Talley when Talley left and a few minutes later four men rushed into the apartment.

The invaders struggled with Brown and Jackson eventually shooting Brown in the chest and Jackson in the face, head and arm.

Grace testified in his trial and said he was at the apartment to buy crack cocaine from Brown when the men rushed in and that Talley wasn't present. Police did not find drugs at the apartment.

The trial ended with a hung jury and prosecutors later negotiated a plea deal in which Grace pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and a 15-year sentence. Talley pleaded guilty to a robbery charge and four-year sentence. All other charges against both men were dismissed as part of their pleas.

For more see tomorrow's Times Free Press.

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