Short Hills Mall defendant won't take witness stand

Anthony Johnson Image
Thursday, March 23, 2017
Short Hills Mall defendant won't take witness stand
Anthony Johnson has the latest details.

NEWARK, New Jersey (WABC) -- A woman allegedly targeted by the same suspects in a deadly carjacking at Short Hills Mall took the stand Thursday to talk about nearly becoming a victim.

Prosecutors say pictures and videos show the suspects following the woman, who owned a Range Rover, just days before Dustin Friedland was killed.

Prosecutors showed jurors video of the vehicle used by the suspects in the deadly carjacking driving around the Short Hills Mall three days before the shooting.

They were actually following another Range Rover vehicle as the driver was leaving the shopping center.

That driver testified in court that she was not aware that she was a potential target for a carjacking.

Prosecutors say that defendant Basim Henry and another suspect Hanif Thompson were in the two tone GMC following the Range Rover.

The jury has seen evidence the Range Rover was followed north on the turnpike as the driver was heading to a friend's house in Fort Lee where a valet met her to park the car.

Henry was asked about this incident when he gave the statement to police after being arrested in 2013.

Thursday morning, jurors heard from an FBI expert in analyzing cellphone records.

He said Henry and Thompson's phones were in Fort Lee three days before the murder of Dustin Friedland and all four suspects phones were near the mall the day of the shooting.

Thursday afternoon, defendant Henry stood with his attorney to announce he would not take the witness stand in his own defense.

The defense rested without presenting any evidence.