A Lee County prosecutor voluntarily dismissed murder charges against a local man on Monday, according to court records.

Deshon Smith, 19, turned himself in to Sanford police on March 2 after a shooting on Bland Circle two days before that left Jabar Griffin dead. Smith apparently told police at the time that he’d acted in self defense, although he was still ultimately charged with murder.

But at a probable cause hearing on Monday, a witness in the case also testified that Smith acted in self defense.

The dismissal form, signed by Lee County prosecutor Byron Beasley, said the witness was “present at the time of the shooting” and that their testimony was “contrary to an earlier statement which was given to law enforcement.”

Probable cause hearings in criminal cases like this are relatively rare. Court records show Smith’s defense attorney Chas Post filed a demand for such a hearing on March 5.