On Oct. 3, a defendant in a 2022 homicide case withdrew his not criminally responsible (NCR) plea in a Baltimore City Circuit Court reception hearing before Judge Melissa M. Phinn.
Jamal Smith is charged with first-degree murder and possession of a deadly weapon with intent to injure in connection to the Jan. 27, 2022, stabbing death of 29-year-old Robert Parker.
Documents from the District Court of Maryland state that Baltimore Police Department (BPD) officers responded to the 1500 block of E. 28th Street and found Parker suffering from stab wounds. Witnesses told police that Parker and Smith were housemates and had been arguing. After following a trail of blood from behind the residence, police found Smith hiding in a neighbor’s shed bleeding from his hands.
Smith, 44, has not yet been tried for these charges due to pending competency evaluations and the NCR plea.
Defense attorney Benjamin Charlton told Judge Phinn his client wanted to withdraw the NCR plea. Though he didn’t give a reason, previous reporting indicates Smith was not diagnosed with any mental health issues by staff at Clifton T. Perkins Hospital.
Judge Phinn scheduled Smith’s five-day trial to begin on Jan. 30, 2024, before Judge Anthony F. Vittoria.
