A Michigan minister was sentenced to prison for the shooting death of a transgender woman in Detroit as the Wayne County prosecutor vowed the victim “will not be forgotten.”
Judge Bridget Hathaway of 36th District Court in Detroit on Friday sentenced 50-year-old Albert Weathers to eight years in prison for killing Kelly Stough.
In a plea bargain agreement with prosecutors, Weathers pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and felony firearm. The agreement calls for a sentencing cap of eight years for the murder and two years for the felony charge.
In a statement, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said the transgender population is among the most marginalized communities in this country. She said Weathers’ sentence is another step taken by her office to stand up for their trans community members.
Stough “will not be forgotten. She mattered. We will continue to aggressively prosecute those who bring harm to this and other Wayne County communities,” the prosecutor said.
Stough’s mother acknowledged she agreed and was grateful for the resolution in the case, prosecutors said.
According to court testimony, Stough’s body was found about 6 a.m. on December 7, 2018 on E. McNichols and Brush streets. After the shooting, Weathers went on to his job in downtown Detroit as a security guard for the Great Lakes Water Authority. About an hour later, he called to report the incident as a robbery and shooting.
As the result of a police investigation, the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office charged Weathers with open murder and use of a firearm in commission of a felony.
There was a dispute over whether the incident was a robbery or an accident.
Weathers, pastor of Logos Church in Detroit, told police he shot Stough in self-defense but also said the shooting was accidental. He initially told investigators “I was protecting myself” when he shot Stough. The pastor later claimed the incident was accidental, saying the weapon “went off by mistake.”
According to Weathers, he grabbed his .40-caliber Glock because Stough jumped into his car and demanded cash. He said he told her to leave his car, but Stough came at him with a sharp metal object.
Prosecutors said the pastor knew Stough and had frequented the area where the shooting took place. The area of McNichols and Woodward is an area frequented by sex workers and their customer
Stough’s family told reporters that she was born Tristan Stough, raised in the church, and grew to be 6 foot 4. Stough got scholarship and played college football but left after a couple of years to pursue a career in fashion.
Jessica Williams, the victim’s mother, told reporters earlier this summer she was glad to hear Weathers acknowledge he killed Stough.
“I was glad — I just wanted to hear him admit it,” Williams said. “Did you say a prayer with her before you left her out in the street like trash? Did you at least hold her hand and tell her you’re sorry?”
FMJP is a program that assists Michigan law enforcement officers and prosecutors in solving serious crimes against lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender persons.
“This guilty plea hopefully brings a long-awaited sense of closure to the family and friends of Kelly Stough. Further, it demonstrates a firm commitment to justice from the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office and our team at the Fair Michigan Justice Project,” FMJP President Alanna Maguire said in a statement after Weathers had pleaded guilty.
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