Murder suspect falls asleep during trial in Michigan transgender woman's killing
HIGHLAND PARK, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) – The first day of testimony in the trial of a man accused of killing a transgender woman in Highland Park ended abruptly.
Before Tuesday morning's proceedings got underway, the defendant, Carlos Scotland, was talking to his attorney and mouthing something to someone in the gallery, but once the first witness took the stand, he couldn't stay awake.
Scotland fell asleep as the lead investigator recounted the inconsistencies during his interrogation of the 18-year-old charged with the June 2023 murder of Ashia Davis at the Woodward Inn.
Scotland initially claimed it was all done in self-defense after she allegedly attacked him with a knife.
"He initially said he had took the knife and discarded it in a field," said Michigan State Police Detective Sergeant James Plummer. "He then recanted that and said that the victim swung at him with a closed right fist while possessing a phone in the victim's left hand.
"He provided great detail, initially looking at a map as to where he discarded this knife before saying that there was no knife."
As Plummer was getting into details about how Scotland and Davis ended up meeting that fateful night, Scotland's episode began. Eventually, his attorney told Chief Judge Brigette Officer Holley another inmate allegedly slipped Scotland three pills before coming to court Tuesday, causing the drowsiness and forcing the judge to adjourn for the day.
"I don't know why they think it's in their best interest to prolong it or make it even longer when, inevitably, he was already found competent," said Julisa Abad, Director of Transgender Advocacy and Outreach for the Fair Michigan Justice Project and victim advocate for the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office. "So it's only a matter of time, but I'm very confident that Ashia Davis is going to receive the justice that she needs."
Testimony resumes on Thursday at 1:30 p.m. at 30th District Court.