Statements reveal Sled's final evening

The alleged confessions of the three suspects shed light on Sled's last minutes. Some facts differ in the alleged confessions of the three suspects accused of murdering University biophysicist and biochemist Vladimir Sled last Halloween night. But the underlying stories are the same: Eugene "Sultan" Harrison apparently attempted to rob Sled's fiancee, Cecilia Hagerhall, and began fighting with Sled after he came to her aid. Bridgette Black then stabbed the 38-year-old Sled to death, while Yvette Stewart waited in the getaway car. The statements, which Philadelphia Police Department homicide detectives said the suspects gave them last November, offer a look into what happened on Oct. 31, 1996, from the defendants' point of view. Harrison, 33, of the 5200 block of Arch Street; Black, 26, of the 5100 block of Reno Street; and Stewart, 30, of the 500 block of North Allison Street are charged with murdering Sled. Assistant District Attorney Richard Carroll has said he plans to seek the death penalty for all three. "I was just swinging the knife, not really trying to hurt him," Black allegedly told police. "I'm so sorry for what has happened. I'm not sorry for having to tell you, or for me going to jail. I'm sorry for killing that man. I didn't even know him." The evening began as Harrison drove the three around West Philadelphia in a stolen, green Buick Skylark that he allegedly started with a screwdriver, according to his statement. The three smoked "a couple bags of cocaine" and bought liquor before heading toward Billybob's restaurant at 40th and Spruce streets, Stewart allegedly said. But they never made it, instead stopping at 44th Street and Larchwood Avenue after Harrison spotted Sled and Hagerhall, who he thought would be easy targets. Wearing a green-and-yellow Oakland A's baseball cap and a jacket, Harrison walked by Sled and Hagerhall with his head down and his cap pulled "down low on my head," according to his statement. When he had trouble wrestling the purse from the 33-year-old Hagerhall, Sled began to fight him, Harrison said. Soon Harrison and Sled were involved in a heated struggle, falling "against a car that was parked there," Harrison told police. "[Sled and Hagerhall] were screaming and yelling for help," Harrison said, and Black came out of the car to silence them. "I took [my knife] out as soon as I got out of the car," states Black's confession. "The man was big and I wanted to scare him. I waved it around, trying to get him away. I was pulling at him with my left hand, and punching him. "I had the knife in my right [hand], and I'm left-handed. It happened real fast. She was on me, he wouldn't let go, and I just poked him. Then at one point, I stopped poking at him, and tried to cut the straps on her purse." "Chaos" filled the car as the three drove away, according to Stewart's confession. Harrison and Black "were both arguing over the pocketbook," Stewart said. "I told Bridgette to get the fuck away from me. Sultan was going to run over her with the car." The problems stemmed from the fact that Stewart knew Harrison and Black, but that Harrison and Black didn't know each other before that night, according to Stewart's confession. Harrison, however, didn't run over Black. Instead, he and Stewart tried to withdraw money from Money Access Center machines using Hagerhall's credit cards. They were unsuccessful, and the machines photographed them, eventually enabling police to arrest them. The three pleaded not guilty earlier this year in formal pre-trial proceedings. The case will likely go to court early next year.

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