Sled killer found guilty of third-degree murder

Bridgette Black could face up to 40 years in prison for her role in the 1996 killing of University biochemist Vladimir Sled. The third and final defendant charged in connection with the 1996 stabbing death of University biochemist Vladimir Sled went before a judge last week, and like the first two, Bridgette Black will likely spend at least the next few decades in prison. Black, 27, of the 5100 block of Reno Street, was convicted on June 5 of third-degree murder for her role in the October 31 death of Sled near 43rd Street and Larchwood Avenue. Black had earlier pled guilty to a general charge of murder, and left it up to Common Pleas Judge Carolyn Temin to determine her degree of guilt. The other two defendants charged with the murder, Eugene "Sultan" Harrison, 34, of the 5200 block of Arch Street, and Yvette Stewart, 30, of the 500 block of North Allison Street were tried last month. A 12-person jury convicted Harrison on several charges of robbery but acquitted him of murder. He faces 32 1/2 to 65 years in prison. Stewart, on the other hand, was convicted for her role in the murder as well as the robbery charges, and faces 47 to 94 years. Black testified as a prosecution witness in both of the trials, which may work in her favor when Temin determines her sentencing in September. Harrison and Stewart are scheduled for September sentencing dates in front of Common Pleas Judge Eugene Clarke, who oversaw both of their trials. Fred Goodman, one of Black's court-appointed attorneys, said he agreed with the verdict. "I think legally, it was absolutely correct," he said earlier this week. While not as effusive, Assistant District Attorney Dick Carroll, who prosecuted all three defendants, said he "can't categorize the verdict as incorrect." Before the hearing, he said that he hoped Temin would find Black guilty of second-degree murder, but added that the judge might "cut [Black] a break" due to her cooperation with the police. The 38-year-old Sled was murdered when he fought back against Harrison, who was attempting to rob him and his fiancee, former University researcher Cecilia Hagerhall. Seeing the struggle from the getaway car, Black jumped out and ran towards the fight, where she said in her testimony she "poked" Sled with a small pocketknife. Stewart, meanwhile, allegedly fired a gun into the air. Since Black was not disputing the facts of the case, Temin had to choose whether to convict her of second-degree or third-degree murder. To convict Black of second-degree murder, Temin would have had to believe that Black killed Sled while participating in the robbery, which she has denied. Black claims she emerged from the car in an attempt to break up the fight after she saw that Stewart had a gun. "When she stabbed [Sled], being involved in the robbery was the furthest thing from her mind," Goodman said. A second-degree conviction carries a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole. Third-degree murder, according to state sentencing guidelines, carries a suggested sentence of 20 to 40 years. While Carroll said the verdict was not unexpected, he acknowledged that since Black is the actual killer, "it's pretty hard for people to swallow if they're thinking purely on an emotional level." Indeed, Black's conviction illustrates just how much perceptions of the case have changed since the trio was arrested in November 1996. Early in the legal proceedings, Carroll told The Daily Pennsylvanian that he believed he had an open-and-shut case for first-degree murder for all three defendants and would probably seek the death penalty. It became clear that the prosecution had no evidence of first-degree murder and, since Stewart and Black denied any part of the robbery which led to the murder, would be hard-pressed to prove second-degree -- used for unplanned murders that occur during the commission of another felony. Harrison was acquitted of all murder charges as his court-appointed attorney, Tariq El-Shabazz, convinced a jury that Harrison could not have known Black would kill Sled and should not be held responsible for her actions. For her part, Black has expressed regret for killing Sled, a Russian-born researcher with a son who was 12 years old at the time of the murder. "Every single day she thinks about Mr. Sled and his son. The whole thing is just an incredible nightmare," Goodman said.