Newark Man Pleads Guilty in Lesbian Teen's Death

March 4, 2005

NEWARK, NJ — A 30 year old man has pleaded guilty to the murder of Sakia Gunn, a 15 year lesbian stabbed in a homophobic attack as she waited for a bus in 2003.

In a plea bargain murder charges were dropped and Richard McCullough pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter, aggravated assault and bias intimidation. When he is sentenced April 21 McCullough is likely to receive between 20 and 25 years behind bars making him eligible for parole in about 15 years.

Gunn and her 17 year old girlfriend had taken the train from Manhattan to Newark's Penn Station after spending the night in Greenwich Village.

They were waiting for a bus at the city's busiest intersection. (story) when McCullough and another man drove up around 3:30 a.m. and attempted to proposition them. The teens said they weren't interested because they were lesbians. The men then began taunting them and when a scuffle broke out Shakia Gunn was stabbed in the chest.

As McCullough thrust the knife into her he hurled homophobic epithets.

The killers fled and Gunn's friend flagged down a motorist who drove the teenager to University Hospital where she died a short time later.

The murder shocked New Jersey's gay community. More than 300 people demonstrated in front of Newark City Hall to draw attention to the murder and the violence that members of the LGBT community are subjected to.

McCullough turned himself in after police released a drawing of him based on eyewitness accounts.

In court, pleading guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter, McCullough said that the killing was not all his fault.

I stood in a defensive stance with my knife in my hand, and she lunged at me, he said.

Superior Court Judge Paul Vichness then threatened to reject the plea agreement and order a new trial because McCullough's account did not square with the prosecution's account.

Assistant Essex County Prosecutor Thomas McTigue said that despite McCullough's minimizing his responsibility he was satisfied with the courtroom confession, and Judge Vichness accepted the plea.

Members of the Gunn and McCullough families had a brief heated exchange in the hallway of the courthouse following the hearing. Sheriff's officers quickly moved in an separated the families.