James Johnson, jailed for more than three years in Wilson without a trial in the death of Brittany Willis, will not face murder charges in the case, a prosecutor said Wednesday.

It was a major victory for Johnson, whose vocal supporters helped prompt a review of the polarizing case three months ago. He still faces a charge of accessory after the fact.

Wednesday's decision continues a year of scrutiny for the state's justice system. Rape charges against three Duke University lacrosse players were dropped in April after then-District Attorney Mike Nifong's prosecutorial misconduct, and Dwayne Dail was released from prison after serving 18 years for a rape he didn't commit.

Johnson has always said he didn't participate in the killing of Willis, a Wilson teen who was found raped and shot to death a day after she disappeared from a shopping center.

The special prosecutor, Forsyth Assistant District Attorney Belinda Foster, said her two-month review of the case did not find evidence to support the more serious charges. Foster declined to comment further on her decision until after the accessory charge is handled.

That charge relates to a 2004 statement Johnson made to police that he helped clean Willis' vehicle. Kenneth Meeks had stolen the vehicle in a carjacking attempt that led to Meeks kidnapping, raping and killing Willis.

Meeks pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and is in prison for life.

With the most serious charges behind Johnson, his family and supporters said they look toward continuing the fight for his exoneration. Johnson has said he helped clean the car out of fear of Meeks.

"It's a victory," said Arthur Johnson, Johnson's father. "The thing is, you've held this murder thing over his head for 42 months. At least now we know what we have to fight."

Johnson's case stirred the town of Wilson, revived the local NAACP chapter and brought intense scrutiny on the practices of Wilson Assistant District Attorney Bill Wolfe.

Wolfe and Wilson District Attorney Howard Boney Jr. could not be reached for comment.

Johnson supporters say Wolfe relied on unreliable eyewitness statements to link Johnson to the crime scene. He continued to pursue his theory that Johnson helped kill Willis despite no physical evidence linking him to the crime and a confession from Meeks that he acted alone.

The NAACP said Wolfe's refusal to drop the charges against Johnson was motivated by race.

Johnson is black and Willis was white. She was a popular honor roll student whose death devastated her family and friends.

The Willis family did not return a phone call for comment Wednesday.

Johnson, now 21, was in jail for more than three years awaiting trial until a Superior Court judge in September agreed to a request by the prosecution and defense for an independent review of the case. Johnson was freed on a reduced bail.

Meeks, who initially said Johnson helped him kill Willis, changed his story this year.

After the slaying, Meeks went to Johnson's house to pick him up and told him what he did.

Showing Johnson the murder weapon, Meeks asked for help in cleaning the evidence from Willis' vehicle.

Prosecutors had relied on only one witness to connect Johnson to the crimes, Charlene Gray Godvey. She died four months after she told Wilson police that she had seen two black males walking with Willis near the shopping center.

New witnesses came forward this year to say they saw Johnson with Meeks and Willis before the slaying, but their identification was tainted by seeing the suspects' photographs in the paper.

On Wednesday night, Johnson returned to the magistrate's office he was released from three months ago. He turned himself in on the accessory charge, which carries a possible sentence of 44 to 58 months. He was released on an unsecured bail.

It was a familiar trip for Johnson, who has said he relied on his faith while in the Wilson County Jail, which is attached to the magistrate's office.

With his recent acceptance into a community college in Wilmington, Johnson is slowly regaining some sense of normalcy, supporters say.

Three years ago, before he was jailed for the crimes, he fielded scholarship offers to play soccer at various colleges and decided on Louisburg.

"He should have never been charged, and he's an innocent young man," said the Rev. William Barber II, who accompanied Johnson to the magistrate's office. "We will continue to fight for full victory and full exoneration."

Barber, the state NAACP president, has led a series of protests and meetings with state officials, asking that Johnson be freed.

Johnson's family said he would not comment immediately on Wednesday's decision. "The big thing about tonight is that James is not a murderer, he is not a rapist, and that's major," Barber said.