Spring trial likely for accused killers of U. research Sled

The three suspects in the 1996 stabbing death of University biochemist Vladimir Sled will likely be tried in March or April, the case's prosecutor said yesterday. Bridgette Black, 26, Eugene "Sultan" Harrison, 33, and Yvette Stewart, 30, are accused of attacking Sled and his fiancee, former University researcher Cecilia Hagerhall, on October 31, 1996 near 43rd Street and Larchwood Avenue. On February 5, Philadelphia Common Pleas Judge Carolyn Temin will assign the case a trial date, according to Assistant District Attorney Dick Carroll, who is handling the case. At a pretrial hearing last week, Temin gave Carroll a choice of how to proceed with the trial of the three defendants accused of robbing and murdering the 38-year-old Russian-born researcher. Carroll asked Temin, who is handling the preliminary trial motions, to allow him to consolidate the murder case with charges against Harrison and Stewart stemming from the robbery of a Philadelphia Daily News driver earlier that day. Temin denied the motion because Black, of the 5100 block of Reno Street -- who police believe is the one who actually stabbed Sled -- was not involved in the prior robbery, Carroll said. Instead, Temin told Carroll he had two choices: try Harrison and Stewart together for both incidents and Black separately; or, try all three for the Sled-related charges and delay the Daily News case. Carroll said he will tell the court his decision within the next week. "I'm leaning in the direction of trying the homicide with all three," Carroll said yesterday. "If they are convicted of killing Vladimir Sled, they're all going to go to jail for the rest of their lives and the robbery case won't matter." Carroll said the situation would change if the D.A.'s office is able to work out a plea agreement with Black. There have been on-and-off negotiations since her November 21, 1996 arrest, he said. He said the two sides were once close to an agreement, but it fell apart at the last moment. Before the suspects' arraignments last February, the Daily News reported that Black was ready to plead guilty and throw herself on the mercy of the court. In her statement allegedly given to Philadelphia homicide detectives the day after her arrest, Black confessed to "poking" Sled with a knife after he fought back against Harrison, who began the attack when he tried to take Hagerhall's purse. She also allegedly told detectives: "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." Carroll said her attitude changed soon after she made her statement. "We went from a naive plea for forgiveness to a rather shrewd maneuver for her benefit," he said. "Once you let lawyers into the picture, everything changes." Alleged statements from Harrison, of the 5200 block of Arch Street, and Stewart, of the 500 block of North Allison Street, mostly corroborate Black's version of the events. None of the defendants' attorneys returned calls for comment yesterday. There have been no plea bargain negotiations with either of the other two suspects, Carroll said. He has expressed optimism since being assigned the case that a jury would convict the suspects. Carroll said yesterday that he has not yet officially decided whether to pursue the death penalty against the defendants. In the past, he said he would seek the death penalty.