| First Name | John |
| Last Name | Smith |
| Year of Conviction | 1995 |
| Year of Exoneration | 2005 |
| Testing inculpated culprit | Cold Hit |
| State of Conviction | North Carolina |
| Trial, Bench Trial, or Guilty Plea | Trial |
| Type of Crime | Murder |
| Death Sentence | No |
| Life / LWOP sentence | Life without parole |
| Gender of Exoneree | Male |
| Race of exoneree | Black |
| Juvenile | No |
| Type of Innocence Defense |
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| Description / Quotes from Testimony Concerning Defense | The defendant testified that he was at home with his family at the time of the offense. |
| Did the defendant testify at trial? | Yes |
| Quotes from Exoneree Testimony | "I was not there that night. I was with my family. The fingerprints they found were not mine." |
| Types of evidence at trial |
|
| Type of Forensic Evidence |
|
| Interrogation Recorded | Yes, fully video recorded |
| Highest level reached | FederalHabeas |
| Claims Raised During All Appeals and Postconviction |
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