Acquitted: Accused Mastermind of 2022 Murder Found Not Guilty

By Andrew Michaels - April 10, 2024
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

A Baltimore City jury acquitted Draquan Smith for the murder of 20-year-old Joshua Camara after he was accused of masterminding the victim’s death in March 2022.

Two years later, on March 29, Smith was acquitted of two counts of first-degree murder and a single count of second-degree murder. Smith was also initially charged with two counts of firearm use in a felony or violent crime; however, a verdict was not rendered for one of the counts, while Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Gregory Sampson granted defense attorneys Latoya Francis-Williams and Sheridan Yeary’s motion for judgement of acquittal for the second count.

Smith’s not guilty verdict comes after a heavily-debated trial during which the prosecution argued the defendant instructed two other men to shoot and kill Camara on March 27, 2022, on the 2600 block of Northshire Drive. Neither of the other two suspects have been identified.

The prosecutor admitted that evidence did not indicate Smith was the shooter, but that the defendant’s actions clarified his involvement as seen in doorbell and other surveillance footage. During the trial, video footage showed Smith talking with the two men before and after the shooting.

According to defense counsel, the victim owed some of the prosecution’s witnesses money, indicating they “had an axe to grind” against Camara.