Prosecutor looks for deal as Sled murder trial nears

Under a plea deal, one of the defendants would testify against the other suspects in the killing of the University researcher. As the long-awaited murder trial nears for the suspects accused of killing University biochemist Vladimir Sled in 1996, the case's prosecutor says he has about a "50-50" chance of reaching a plea bargain agreement with one of the three defendants. Bridgette Black, 26, Eugene "Sultan" Harrison, 33, and Yvette Stewart, 30, are accused of attacking Sled, 38, and his fiancee, former University researcher Cecilia Hagerhall, 33, on October 31, 1996, near 43rd Street and Larchwood Avenue. After Harrison tried to grab Hagerhall's purse, Sled came to her aid, and was stabbed to death in the ensuing struggle. Assistant District Attorney Dick Carroll said yesterday he has been negotiating with Dean Owens, a public defender representing Black -- who prosecutors claim stabbed Sled -- in hopes of securing her testimony against the other two defendants. The two parties could reach an agreement by tomorrow's pre-trial hearing, at which time a judge will assign the case a trial date. Owens declined to comment on the negotiations, saying only that he is "more than willing to listen to what the Commonwealth has to say." Carroll also said he would be very unlikely to accept a deal in which Black did not receive a life sentence for the crime. Although Black allegedly was the one who stabbed Sled five times, prosecutors do not believe she planned either the robbery or the murder. Black's testimony would be the only thing to tie Stewart to the crime, Carroll said. Stewart allegedly stayed in the getaway car during the robbery and claims not to have known that Harrison planned to rob the couple, he said. "If we went to trial without Bridgette's help, we would have great difficulty implicating Stewart," Carroll said. Black can testify that both Stewart and Harrison were planning a robbery, he added. Also, Carroll said, Black can testify that Stewart had a gun, which Stewart denies. "That would help me immensely, to show that they had deadly force available" and planned to use it, Carroll said. Without that testimony, it would be very difficult to get a first-degree murder conviction, he added. Carroll also said yesterday it is unlikely he will seek the death penalty. This represents a change of plans for Carroll, who previously indicated he would pursue it. "I can't prove that Bridgette intended to kill," he said. "And the other two didn't know that Bridgette was going to jump out of the car and start stabbing Sled." Nevertheless, Carroll said he is confident he will be able to get at least second-degree murder convictions, with or without Black as a witness. A first-degree murder conviction would require the prosecution to prove the incident was premeditated. According to an alleged statement Black gave to Philadelphia Police soon after her arrest, Harrison and Stewart planned to rob someone that night. When Harrison saw Sled and Hagerhall, he got out of the car the three suspects were driving. Several minutes later, the two women heard scuffling, prompting Stewart to pull out a gun. Black then ran to the scene to help Harrison. During the ensuing fight, she stabbed Sled, she allegedly told police. Black's statement cannot substitute for her testimony. The Sixth Amendment's "confrontation clause" entitles the accused to face the accuser, meaning that while a statement can be used against the person who said it, it alone cannot be used against another defendant, Carroll said. If the statements are deemed admissible, the names would be removed so that only the basic story remained. However, defense attorneys for the three suspects are seeking to have the statements thrown out because even without the names, jurors may infer their identities, he said. Prosecutors could also choose to try Black separately from Harrison and Stewart, in which case the statement could be used. Common Pleas Judge Carolyn Temin, who is handling the pretrial matters, may rule on that motion during tomorrow's 9 a.m. hearing in Room 604 of the Criminal Justice Center at 13th and Filbert streets.