1 day after hate crime acquittal, College Park killer found guilty in Bowie State student death
Man found guilty of killing Bowie State student on UMD campus
A jury has reached a verdict in the trial of a man accused of murdering a Bowie State University student on the College Park campus of the University of Maryland in 2017. On Wednesday, Sean Urbanski was found guilty of first-degree murder.
UPPER MARLBORO, Md. (FOX 5 DC) - A jury has reached a verdict in the trial of a man accused of murdering a Bowie State University student on the College Park campus of the University of Maryland in 2017. On Wednesday, Sean Urbanski was found guilty of first-degree murder.
Richard Collins III, 23, a Bowie State University student who had recently been commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army, was waiting at a bus stop with two friends when Urbanski approached them and said, "Step left, step left if you know what's best for you,” according to police.
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"No," Collins said before Urbanski allegedly plunged a knife into his chest.
Prince George’s County prosecutors have said Urbanski was motivated by a bias against black people. Urbanski liked a Facebook group called "Alt-Reich: Nation" and saved at least six photographs of racist memes on his phone, according to prosecutors.
Defense attorneys say there is no evidence of a racist motive for what occurred that night. Witnesses told police Urbanski was drunk and screaming incoherently when he approached the friends, one of his lawyers has said.
On Tuesday, a Prince George’s County judge acquitted Urbanski on a hate-crime charge.
Urbanski faces a possible sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. His sentencing date will be held on April 16, 2020.
Officials held a press conference on Wednesday evening following the conviction. Watch below:
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The Associated Press contributed to this report