Murder suspect falls asleep during trial over killing of transgender woman in Michigan

HIGHLAND PARK, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) – The first day of testimony in the trial against Man accused of killing transgender woman in Highland Park ended abruptly.

Before the trial began on Tuesday morning, defendant Carlos Scotland talked to his lawyer and whispered something to someone in the audience, but when the first witness took the stand, he could no longer stay awake.

Scotland fell asleep as the lead investigator listed the inconsistencies during his interrogation of the 18-year-old accused of murdering Ashia Davis at the Woodward Inn.

Scotland initially claimed it was all in self-defense after she allegedly attacked him with a knife.

“He initially said he took the knife and threw it away in a field,” said Michigan State Police Detective Sergeant James Plummer. “He then recanted that statement and said the victim struck him with his right fist while holding a phone in his left hand.”

“He provided great detail. First he looked on a map to see where he had disposed of the knife before saying there was no knife there.”

As Plummer went into detail about how Scotland and Davis met that fateful night, Scotland's episode began. Eventually, his attorney told presiding judge Brigette Officer Holley that another inmate allegedly slipped Scotland three pills before he appeared in court on Tuesday, making him drowsy and forcing the judge to adjourn the hearing for the day.

“I don't know why they feel it's in their best interest to extend the detention or even extend it longer when inevitably he's already been found sane,” said Julisa Abad, director of transgender advocacy and education at the Fair Michigan Justice Project and victim advocate for the Wayne County District Attorney's Office. “So it's just a matter of time, but I'm very confident that Ashia Davis will get the justice she needs.”

Testimony will continue at 1:30 p.m. Thursday in 30th District Court.