A brawl almost broke out in a Brooklyn courtroom Thursday as a suspect in the gruesome 2004 murder of a 17-year-old girl was led into the hearing \u2014 and the victim\u2019s enraged kin tried to attack him.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou put your hands on my family, you piece of sh-t!\u201d an unidentified relative of victim Sharabia Thomas yelled as he jumped up and lunged at accused murderer Kwauhuru Govan amidst the hisses and screams of those surrounding him.<\/p>\n
Govan, 38, screamed back, \u201cYou got the wrong person!\u201d as he was shuffled by in a blue sweatsuit and cuffs.<\/p>\n
Thomas was last seen by her younger sister, Rachel, on Feb. 11, 2004, as Rachel left for school. Thomas\u2019s naked body was found hours later abandoned in a Bushwick alley, bent and stuffed into a laundry bag.<\/p>\n
She had been strangled and bore ligature marks on her wrists and ankles. Though she was naked, there was no evidence of sexual assault.<\/p>\n
Govan was arrested after the NYPD\u2019s Cold Case Squad and the DA\u2019s Forensic Science Unit sought out and re-tested the victim\u2019s 12-year-old fingernail clippings \u2014 and allegedly found traces of the suspect\u2019s DNA under them.<\/p>\n
Their findings led them to Govan, who was serving time in a Florida prison for armed robbery. In 2004, he lived just two blocks from Thomas\u2019s family home.<\/p>\n
Thomas\u2019s distraught family packed the pews of Brooklyn Supreme Court Thursday to see her alleged killer.<\/p>\n
Rachel\u2019s eyes welled, and she grasped hands with the person next to her as the family exploded around her.<\/p>\n
Govan pleaded \u201cnot guilty\u201d to charges of second-degree murder and first-degree kidnapping, and was ordered held without bail.<\/p>\n
He will return to court Jan. 6.<\/p>\n
Thomas\u2019s family broke out in applause as Govan was led back into the pens, prompting him to shout, \u201c\u201cI\u2019m innocent! I\u2019ve been framed! I did not do this!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, you did! Yes, you did, you piece of s-t!\u201d the same relative yelled as the door slammed shut behind him.<\/p>\n
Defense lawyer Fred Spiegel said, \u201cDNA is not infallible\u201d as he left court.<\/p>\n
A man who identified himself as Thomas\u2019s uncle said, \u201cI just wanna say that after 12 years, i\u2019m glad someone is gonna pay the price for what happened to my niece.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople don\u2019t framed by DNA,\u201d he added as Rachel, who declined to comment, cried silently next to him. \u201cI don\u2019t have words, just anger.\u201d<\/p>\n
Source: NY Post<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"