Suspects smoked crack before Sled murder

The alleged killer may plead guilty at an arraignment February 6 in order to avoid the death penalty. The three suspects in the stabbing death of Vladimir Sled smoked crack cocaine en route to Billybob's restaurant before they attacked the University biochemist and his fiancee Cecelia Hagerhall on the 4300 block of Larchwood Avenue, according to a statement by one of the suspects, Yvette Stewart. Stewart told police she watched from the car as Eugene Harrison and Bridget Black struggled with Sled after attempting to steal Hagerhall's pocketbook. When Sled fell to the ground, the three fled the scene in a car driven by Harrison. Police read the statement Tuesday at a preliminary hearing at which Sled's fiancee, Cecelia Hagerhall, mistakenly identified Harrison's lawyer, Tariq El-Shabazz, as the alleged attacker. Hagerhall also pointed to Stewart, not Black, as the woman who assisted Harrison in the struggle. Additionally, an unconfirmed report in yesterday's Philadelphia Daily News said Black, who allegedly stabbed Sled five times, plans to plead guilty at her February 6 arraignment in exchange for a life sentence. She waived her right to a preliminary hearing Tuesday. The Halloween night murder of Sled -- a well-liked and respected researcher -- along with the September shooting of College senior Patrick Leroy in a robbery attempt on 40th Street, shocked the University community and prompted University officials to implement better lighting and security patrols in the area west of campus. Assistant District Attorney Dick Carroll said his office intends to seek the death penalty for all three suspects. Carroll emphasized that Black has not "cut a deal" with his office but they "certainly would be receptive to an overture." "It's not much of a secret that [Black] was the stabber," Carroll said. "The most we can do for her is offer her [a life sentence]. We wouldn't take anything less than that." After Black and Stewart's arraignment, Hagerhall will have to identify Harrison in a lineup February 12. Harrison's preliminary hearing is scheduled for the next day. El-Shabazz said Hagerhall's misstep Tuesday raises doubts about her ability to identify Harrison as the male who assaulted Sled and her. "Identifying me as the perpetrator clearly indicates that she is unable to make an identification of the male that was involved in this case," he said. But El-Shabazz maintained that Stewart's statement, which implicated Harrison in the slaying, will not have an effect on Harrison -- who Stewart refers to as "Sultan" throughout her statement. In a November 21 statement given to Philadelphia Homicide Detective Thomas Perks, Stewart paints a frightening picture of drugs, alcohol and death on Halloween night. "We all got back in the car after I got my cocaine," Stewart said. "The three of us smoked a couple bags of cocaine. Bridget wanted Sultan to drive her to get some corn liquor." After getting the alcohol, Harrison picked up some money at a bar at 52nd and Market streets, and then headed toward campus. "We left there, and we got gas in the car and we now were going to Billybob's. I guess he wanted to get something to eat. "On the way Sultan started driving real slow. He pulled onto this dark little spot and he jumped out. He started to walk around the corner. Me and Bridget stayed in the car," Stewart continued. Black left the car 10 minutes later, according to the statement, at which point Stewart heard screaming and drove over to examine the scene. "And I saw Sultan and a man tussling. The man was holding onto Sultan. I seen Bridget swinging on a lady. She was trying to get her pocketbook off the lady. "I saw Sultan, he looked like he was out of breath and I saw Bridget go over to help him. I saw Bridget swinging her arms, like she was trying to beat the man off Sultan. I seen the guy let go of Sultan and the guy fell straight down to the ground," Stewart said. The three then fled in the car with Harrison at the wheel. Stewart noticed blood all over the hands of Black, who had a hunting knife and Hagerhall's belongings. After stopping on Ruby Street, Harrison tried to run over Black with the car. The two had been arguing over Hagerhall's pocketbook. "He said he was going to kill that bitch," Stewart said. Hagerhall said Tuesday she heard a shot coming from the getaway car, but Stewart said no one in the car had a gun. Stewart was photographed as she attempted to use Hagerhall's bank card to withdraw money from an automatic teller machine approximately one hour after the murder. Attorney Lee Mandell, who represents Stewart, maintained that his client was not involved with the actual murder and should only be charged with using the stolen card. "This woman had no knowledge that anything was going to happen," he said of his client. "As far as this getaway nonsense goes, it's pure bunkum." The ATM photographs -- several of which showed Harrison -- led detectives to arrest the three murder suspects.

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