ALAMEDA COUNTY, Calif. (KRON) — The man on trial for the murder of Nia Wilson was removed from the courtroom Wednesday morning for making an outburst just two minutes into the prosecutor’s opening statement.
John Cowell was arguing over the facts of who arrived at the BART station first, him or the Wilson sisters.
The judge told Cowell he would be removed if he did not stop talking. But Cowell continued to object and he was physically removed from the courtroom by deputies.
Prosecutors completed delivering their opening statement Wednesday morning.
The judge allowed the Cowell to return to the courtroom while his defense attorney have her opening statement.
Nia Wilson’s family members were sobbing in the courtroom as BART surveillance video was played for the first time publicly.
The entire homicide was recorded on video.
Prosecutors played tape showing a man, who they say was John Cowell, lunging at Nia and stabbing her in the neck with a large knife.
Nia died slowly as she bled on the train platform. Her sisters looked shocked and in disbelief of what just happened. Her older sister, who was also stabbed in the neck, tried to help Nia stop bleeding by holding her neck. Nia called her father screaming. Police performed cpr but she died on the platform.
KRON4 Digital Reporter Amy Larson is in the courtroom covering the trial daily. Find the latest stories on the trial here
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