Rodney Eric Smith sat motionless at the defense table during much of the testimony at his three-day murder trial last week, his long hair tied into a tight pony tail hanging over a crisp white shirt. Prosecutors called a series of witnesses to make their case that Smith, 31, was a murderer.

They presented evidence that the two were seen on security camera footage from Home Depot shortly before the body of 24-year-old Juantissa Hill was found strangled to death in her bedroom at a sprawling apartment complex on the West End. They called DNA experts who testified that Smith’s semen was found at the crime scene, and they brought officers to the stand to explain that Hill’s stolen 2006 Nissan Altima was recovered 300 feet from the front door of the Prince George’s County apartment where Smith was staying. The commonwealth’s theory of the case was that Smith killed Hill sometime between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Dec. 1. After prosecutors rested their case, Smith’s attorney called no witnesses. The defendant declined to take the stand in his own trial.

"Our defense was that the evidence was insufficient," said court-appointed defense attorney Frank Ashmann. "I was disappointed in the ruling because I don’t think the commonwealth had enough evidence for a conviction."

ASCHMANN’S DEFENSE was that the two had an intimate relationship, which explained the presence of Smith’s DNA at the apartment. While he acknowledged that Smith was the last person seen with Hill in the Home Depot security footage, he warned jurors not to jump to conclusions with circumstantial evidence. But prosecutors countered any doubts the jury may have had by presenting a case that began with a shopping trip to Home Depot to purchase materials for hanging a 32-inch plasma television. That trail ended in Maryland, where Hill’s stolen car was recovered.

"Taken in isolation, each of these pieces could be called into question," admitted Sengel, who is the city’s elected prosecutor. "But our argument to the jury was that you have to look at all the evidence together."

The jury agreed with Sengel, finding Smith guilty of first-degree murder, robbery and grand larceny. Members of the jury recommended Smith receive a sentence of life in prison on the murder conviction, with an additional 50 years for robbery and another 20 years for grand larceny. Smith decided to waive the pre-sentencing report, allowing the judge to finalize the sentence without the usual delay between a jury’s verdict and a judge’s sentence. Because Virginia abolished its parole system in 1994, Smith will probably spend the rest of his life behind bars for murdering Hill.

"If you take someone else’s life, you shouldn’t be able to keep your freedom," said Sheena Taylor-Cornelius, a friend who knew Hill through the United States Navy. "I’m glad justice was served for her."

DURING THE TRIAL, Hill was described as a hard-working and dependable second class petty officer in the United States Navy, which she joined at the age of 20. Hill was eventually hired as a secretary in the Office of Chief of Naval Operations, a job that required security clearance for handling highly classified material. Her MySpace page said she lived in Mississippi before moving to Detroit at age 11. Friends described her as outgoing and friendly.

"People were drawn to her," said friend and Navy colleague Sheena Philiberg, who testified during the trial. "She didn’t come across as shy."

On Dec. 2, police discovered Hill’s body after coworkers at the Pentagon became concerned that she had not appeared for work. When Alexandria officers investigated the crime scene, they discovered that the flat-screen television and Hill’s laptop computer were missing from the apartment. Prosecutors presented evidence that Smith left the area shortly after the murder and traveled to Pennsylvania under a false name. Court records show that Smith had prior convictions for robbery, receiving stolen property and escape from custody.