The death of Flynn Brown now sits between a mistrial and a wrongful death lawsuit.
JACKSON, Miss. — The killing of Jackson State University student Flynn Brown remains unresolved in two forums after a mistrial in Randall Smith’s murder case and a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Brown’s parents against the university.
The criminal case asks whether Smith committed first-degree murder when he shot Brown inside a campus residence hall in December 2022. The civil case asks whether Jackson State failed to protect Brown before the shooting. Neither case has produced a final public outcome. The mistrial on April 9 left prosecutors weighing whether to retry Smith, while the family’s lawsuit keeps attention on what the university knew before Brown died.
Brown, 22, and Smith, then 20, were suitemates on the seventh floor of John W. Dixon Residence Hall. Brown was from New Jersey and had transferred to Jackson State after attending a two-year college in Pennsylvania. Smith was from New Orleans. The prosecution said an argument over doughnuts led to a fatal shooting. Smith told investigators Brown took the doughnuts, choked him and overpowered him. Smith said he got a gun and fired into Brown’s head. A medical examiner confirmed Brown died from a gunshot wound to the head.
The facts after the shooting are central to both the public understanding of the case and the state’s argument. Smith admitted in a recorded statement that he placed Brown’s body in a black box and moved it from the dorm. Prosecutors said he dragged the box down seven flights of stairs and across a distance of about 75 yards toward the parking lot. Brown’s body was later found in a Dodge Challenger on campus. Officers testified about bloodstains along the route, dried blood inside the box and a strong smell of bleach in the room. Smith also admitted changing clothes and cleaning the scene.
At trial, prosecutors used those details to attack Smith’s self-defense claim. Hinds County Assistant District Attorney Briana Keeler told jurors Smith lied, tried to dispose of Brown’s body and cleaned the room instead of seeking help. She said the odor of bleach showed an effort to cover up the killing. Defense attorney Kevin Dale Camp argued the evidence showed Smith acted in self-defense and then made poor decisions afterward. He said prosecutors had not disproved that Brown choked Smith during the fight or that Smith feared he could not defend himself physically.
The jury heard from Amari Ward, a suitemate who also played football at Jackson State. Ward said Smith and Brown appeared fine the day before the killing. The next morning, he heard loud music from their room. Ward testified that he entered and saw blood on the floor and on a gray tote. He later saw the Challenger outside, heard dragging noises and saw Smith tugging a black box covered by a sheet. Ward told one of his coaches what he saw, and the coach contacted campus police.
The trial ended before jurors could decide which legal label fit the evidence. After about three and a half hours of deliberation, the jury told Hinds County Circuit Court Judge Adrienne Wooten it could not reach a unanimous verdict. Wooten asked whether returning for more deliberations would help. Eleven jurors said no, though at least three were willing to try. Wooten declared a mistrial. Jurors who spoke later said all 12 believed Smith was guilty, but they split over first-degree murder and lesser charges such as second-degree murder or manslaughter.
The civil lawsuit filed by Brown’s parents, Michele Hill-Brown and Michael Brown, adds a separate claim about campus responsibility. The family alleges Jackson State had notice of earlier problems involving Smith, including troubling behavior toward Brown and other roommates, and failed to act before the shooting. The parents are seeking financial compensation for pain, suffering and expenses tied to Brown’s death. The lawsuit does not decide whether Smith is guilty of murder, but it raises questions about residence hall safety, roommate conflict and how reports by students are handled.
Jackson State expressed grief after Brown’s death and said safety was the university’s highest priority. At the time, university officials and investigators said there was no continuing threat to campus. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation and Jackson State University Police worked on the homicide investigation. The killing shook a campus community already gathered around student life, sports and end-of-semester routines. Brown’s family said he was preparing to come home for Christmas. His obituary described him as inclusive, modest and supportive of his friends.
After the mistrial, both sides left court without closure. Hill-Brown said the family would continue seeking justice for her son. Michael Brown said the result was painful after years of waiting. Camp said Smith was disappointed because the defense had hoped for an acquittal, but he said the defense would “T-up and do it again” if the state tries the case again. Those responses showed how a mistrial can prolong every part of a case: the family’s grief, the defendant’s uncertainty, the prosecutors’ burden and the court’s schedule.
The next procedural step is a decision by prosecutors on whether to retry Smith on the first-degree murder charge. As of April 30, no new trial date had been announced. The civil lawsuit against Jackson State also remains a separate track, leaving Brown’s death before both the criminal court and the civil court.
Author note: Last updated April 30, 2026.