Suspect in Charlotte shootout that killed nursing student out on bond after 6 years in jail
CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — A man charged in the 2019 shooting death of a Charlotte nursing student and mother of two is now out of jail after posting bond this week.
Adonis Smith, now 23, walked free after posting a $10,000 secured bond.
Smith had been behind bars for six years, since he was 17, awaiting trial for his role in a fatal shootout that claimed the life of 27-year-old Kendal Crank.
Crank, an innocent bystander, was on her way to nursing school in March 2019 when she was struck by a bullet during a gunfight at the intersection of East 28th St. and North Tryon St.
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Earlier this year, Smith's first trial ended in a mistrial due to a hung jury. In a recent motion requesting bond reduction, Smith's attorneys argued that he had spent nearly a quarter of his life in jail without a conviction and posed no flight risk.
The judge agreed to set the bond at $10,000, which was posted this week.
During the initial trial, Smith claimed he was acting in self-defense, stating he had been shot at by the two other suspects and returned fire without realizing that anyone else had been hurt.
Crank's death sent shockwaves through the Charlotte community. Witness testimony painted a harrowing scene: Crank's friend, Porchia Jordan, described through tears how she saw Crank slumped over in the driver's seat with blood on the dashboard.
With Smith now out on bond, the community and Crank's family await news on whether the case will head back to trial or potentially result in a plea deal.
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