John Lee Cowell, 32, is serving life without the possibility of parole in California State Prison, Sacramento.
SAN FRANCISCO — John Lee Cowell, who fatally stabbed Nia Wilson after following the 18-year-old and her two sisters on a BART train from Concord to Oakland, has lost the appeal of his first-degree murder conviction.
Cowell was convicted in 2020 of killing Wilson and attempting to kill her sister by slashing them both in the neck on July 22, 2018. Jurors also found him guilty of the special circumstance of lying in wait, leading to his sentence to life without the possibility of parole. Most of Cowell’s appeal was similarly centered on the insanity defense, as well as Cowell’s bizarre behavior during trial. In the 86-page decision, appellate justices ruled that Cowell’s refusal to come to court or obey courtroom decorum didn’t affect his defense, that Cowell’s refusal to finish cross-examination didn’t justify a new trial and that Alameda County Superior Court Judge Allan Hymer was justified in restricting defense expert testimony.
Cowell’s attorney claimed Ford did so by producing a “corrected transcript” of the remark at a late minute. During Cowell’s testimony, he recalled “being threatened by three Black females that were together,” and that he feared they were going to kidnap his grandmother, leading many to believe that he targeted Wilson and her sisters because they were Black.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Oakland Zoo closes due to sinkhole opened by stormThe animals at the Oakland Zoo remained safe during last weekend's storm. Unfortunately, you won't be able to visit them in the next few weeks thanks to a giant sinkhole.
Read more »
Residents of Oakland complex remain displaced after storm floods garage, leaving cars inundatedFrustrated residents of an Oakland apartment complex remained evacuated from their homes on Tuesday, after the massive storm over the weekend flooded out their building’s garage, leaving tenants not only displaced but many unable to access their vehicles for days.
Read more »
Apartment fire in Oakland’s Uptown district injures one person, displaces several residentsA fire at an apartment building in Oakland’s Uptown district Tuesday afternoon left one resident with minor injuries and several residents displaced.
Read more »
The eight most expensive reported home sales in Oakland the week of Dec. 12A house in Oakland that sold for $2.4 million tops the list of the most expensive real estate sales in Oakland in the last week.
Read more »
Bay Area storm live updates: Large tree falls on 3-story Oakland apartment buildingA large eucalyptus tree fell on a three-story apartment building at 3293 Lynde St. in Oakland.
Read more »
Tree crashes on Oakland apartment building; 5 families had to fleeFive families living in an Oakland apartment had to flee after a giant eucalyptus tree crashed into their building Wednesday night during the heavy rains.
Read more »