Testimony Continues In Trial Of Man Accused Of Killing Transgender Woman
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Testimony continued Thursday in the trial of a Philadelphia man accused of murdering a transgender woman five years ago.
Diamond Williams' remains were found scattered in a vacant Strawberry Mansion lot in July 2013, and the defendant says the killing was in self-defense.
Forty-four-year-old Charles Sargent is representing himself in court and asked the judge for a mistrial, because he believed the jury could have been tainted after hearing a KYW Newsradio report about the case.
The judge denied his request, and said she would continue to instruct jurors not to listen, read, or watch the news.
Several police officers took the stand. One testified that while transporting Sargent to police headquarters, Sargent told him he committed a homicide. The defendant pressed him further on the comment, trying to point out that no one else heard the comment.
Two detectives also testified to statements, one saying that Sargent told him he killed Diamond Williams, and that he regretted it happened.
Sargent briefly crossed, with questions about when the statements were taken.
Williams had no family.
One person said they met Williams only once but wanted to be in there to for her since she had no one else.
A representative from the Mayor's LGBTQ office was also in the courtroom.