PETERSBURG -- The city's commonwealth's attorney plans to drop all charges against four defendants awaiting trial in the shooting death of an 81-year-old woman.

The decision came days after the first defendant in the case -- Jamaal D. Smith -- was found not guilty in the Nov. 10, 2003, slaying of Rachel Johnson, who was getting ready for bed in her South Dunlop Street home when several shots were fired through a window.

On May 2, a Circuit Court jury found Smith, 25, not guilty of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, use of a firearm and use of a firearm to fire into an occupied dwelling.

Last week, prosecutors asked the court to drop the charges against Smith's brother, Timothy Smith, who also was charged with murder.

"I will ask the court to [drop] the charges for the remaining defendants," because the strongest case was against Jamaal Smith and the jury found him not guilty, said Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Leslie Lindsey.

Charges will be dropped against Randy Williams, Kenneth Jackson and Tierral Hill, but the prosecution has the option to reopen the case, Lindsey said. In March, charges were dropped against Wilbert Reid, who was among the six originally arrested in the case last year.

"I would love to prosecute those people, but there is no sense in going after them until we have the witnesses who will testify," Lindsey said. "The people who can really help us are afraid to talk to us."