the judge ordered the deputies to remove john lee cowell. he yelled, they cannot force me to say it if i am leaving. supporters of the victims say that john lee cowell is being selective how he answers questions. >> he answers questions, until the entire courtroom can see that he is about to get caught in what he is doing. and he acts like he's crazy. >> reporter: also understand a woman acknowledge that she never mentioned aliens or fake skin, in an interview with the defense. that is two things that john lee cowell has mentioned on the stand. because john lee cowell never completed testimony, could have been thrown out. the judge indicated he will not declare a mistrial. in oakland, henry lee, ktvu fox2 news. >>> we are joined by our legal analyst, michael, i want to talk about the impact that this kind of testimony has on the jury. it does follow some bizarre testimony from john lee cowell earlier this week. how is the jury interpreting all of this? >> it is up to each individual juror. it was different effects on different people. keep i

. >>> it was a strange today in the murder trial of john cowell. he was the man who admitted to stabbing nia wilson and her sister at the b.a.r.t. station. >> reporter: john cowell testified in his own defense in his murder trial, as a sheriff's deputy sat next to him on the stand, he told the jury he's bipolar, schizophrenic, and hears voices. for the first time, cowell gave his reason why he stabbed nia to death. they were aliens and gang member out to attack and kidnap his grandmother. he told the jury, i stabbed both of the females in the crew, because i believed they would not give my grandmother back. >> i think he's delusional now. not then. >> reporter: on the stand, cowell said nia and her sisters were pointing to other passengers while staring at him. latifah and tashiya wilson said they had no contact with him. he talked about miniature radios implanted in his ear, and fake skin, as well as white skin and black skin. he was often at odds with his attorney. >> i believe 75% of it is made up. but 25% i think is racially motivated. he's tal

if john lee cowell even shows up. cowell got kicked out of the courtroom during opening statements because he kept shouting out at the prosecutor. he hasn't returned but today he is expected to be on the witness stand. he is facing a murder and attempted murder charge on the attack on nia wilson and on her sister, nia. nia's mother says she will be there for his testimony. >> taking the stand, that's what they say. a tough day in court. both sisters testify. cowell's attorney says he suffers from schizophrenia and was hearing voices when he attacked the sisters. the judge found him competent to stand trial. cowell has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. if convicted he could be sentenced to life in prison without parole. live in the newsroom, amy hollyfield, abc 7 news. >>> the new hampshire primary is under way. senator aimy klobuchar is leading. mayor michael bloomberg won in another township even though he's not on the ballot. recent polls show bernie sanders who hails from vermont with the lead followed by f

his name is john lee cowell. cowell slashed the next of her sister, lateva who survived. cowell was booted for repeatedly speaking out during the d.a.'s opening statement. >> i think he got kicked out on purpose, because he didn't want to see the video. that's what i honestly think. the judge asked him several times, can you be quiet? >> reporter: but cowell, who is schizophrenic, came back later when his attorney told the jury that the killing wasn't planned, but instead a rash act of impulsivity. the defense attorney says this isn't a case of whodunit, he did it. >> i just want to see justice. justice for the family, justice for nia. >> i'd like to see him go to prison, and they lock him up and throw away the key. >> reporter: cowell has been charged with murder, attempted murder, and a special circumstance of lying in wait. in oakland, henry lee, fox 2 news. >>> all right, checking out some of the highs today. pretty significant from february. we saw numbers in the mid- to upper 70s. pretty warm for this time of year. 66 was the number in antioch. 65 in santa rosa. 61

>> reporter: testimony continues and the defendant charlie cowell is not in court for a second day after he got kicked out of the courtroom yesterday. today he has not shown up at all and the key piece of evidence is a knife in this case. the alleged murder weapon. the jury was able to pass it around and handle it themselves . this is enough that prosecutors there was used to kill 18-year-old nia wilson 1.5 years ago. john lee cowell is charged with murder and attempted murder for allegedly stabbing nia wilson and her sisteron the platform at the macarthur station. the jury viewed video of the murder during the opening statements yesterday. it showed a man police identified as john lee cowell come behind the victims and stabbed them in the neck and the prosecution says this was the meditated. that is after he identified and followed his victims from the cowell suffers from psychosis and delusion. we also heard this morning from a bus driver who says that he picked up cowell the night of a video of the bus saying he needed a free ride and that his ankle was messed up. the driver allowed h

and attorney says that john lee cowell acted impulsively as the result of delusions.ailhouse calls in which he sounded lucid and normal. >> when he is in court, he acts out. >> reporter: says he was tossed out, he has refused to come to court. nia wilson's sister, is not buying his insanity defense. >> he is a drug addict. he checked himself into mental homes, just so he could get laid about the drugs he used the day before, or he wants to calm it down to get ready for his next usage. >> reporter: the jury heard from a friend of john lee cowell, this is even though he is severely disturbed, he does not belong in prison. >> johnny has a good heart, but his mental illness has progressed that he is so bizarre and out there, i cannot imagine what is in his head. >> reporter: she said it was difficult to testify in front of nia wilson's family. and >> i don't want people to misconstrue my point. i wanted to be fair. >> reporter: closing arguments will begin on march 9, after a court recess. in oakland, henry lee, ktvu fox2 news. >>> one person was killed and six others inj

two things cowell has mentioned on the stand. >> because john cowell never completed his testimony it could have been thrown out but the judge indicated he will not declare a mistrial over that issue. in oakland, henry lee, ktvu fox 2 news. >>> a man in el dorado county who faced 14 years in prison for murder will now be released. after new dna evidence was discovered. was sentenced in the 1985 killing of his roommate jane hilton. he was convicted after his former girlfriend claims she witnessed and helped him with the crime. but the northern california innocence project pressed investigators to use dna tests of a bite mark on hilton's shoulder. the dna matched another man michael green and this week, green was arrested in roseville. >>> this is the first case in california and only the second in this country where investigative genetic genealogy has not only led to the freeing of an individual from prison for a crime he did not commit, but the identification of the true source. >> lawyers for davis will seek compensation for the 14 years he spent in prison. >>> hundreds of families i

two things cowell mentioned on the stand. the judge indicated he will not declare a mistrial over that issue. in oakland henry lee, ktvu fox 2 news. >>> time is now 4:25. despite safety concerns, bart says crime is down compared to this time yesterday. alvarez says crime is down 18% comparing january of this year to january of 2019. also bart says there's been a big drop in cellphone thefts. in january of last year there were 74 thefts compared to 46 this year. the police chief says a recent increase in uniform officers is paying off. >>> meantime, the chp arrested a man in connection with a violent attack on a bart train. he's accused of beating another bart passenger with a chain after they argued on tuesday. it happened near the lake merit bart station that was headed to daily city. the suspect has not been identified but can be seen on surveillance cameras on the train at the coliseum bart station. the suspect was arrested yesterday by the chp. >>> bart's board of directors could soon make changes to the daily parking fee

the attorney says that john lee cowell acted impulsively due to delusions. the da did play jailhouse calls between john lee cowell and his aunt, where he sounded lucid and normal. >> when he is in court, he acts like a donkey. >> reporter: he was tossed out of court for an outburst toward the da. consent, he has refused to come to court. nia wilson's sister is not buying defense. addict. he checked himself into mental homes, just so he could get cleaned up off of the drugs he used the days before, or he wants to calm down so he is getting ready for his next usage. >> reporter: the jury heard from a friend of john lee cowell's, that that even though he is very disturbed, he doesn't belong in prison. >> johnny has a good heart, but his mental illness has progressed to the point, he is so bizarre and out there, i cannot imagine what is in his head. >> reporter: she said it was difficult to testify in front of nia wilson's family. is the:i don't people i don't want people to misconstrue my arguments.>> reporter: closing arguments will conclude after recess. henr

his name is john lee cowell. cowell launched a tactical assault. the d.a. said cowell threw the knife into a construction area, changed his clothes, and even ran past responding police officers, pointing them toward the station to get them off his trail. cowell was booted for repeatedly speaking out during the d.a.'s opening statements. >> i think he got kicked out on purpose, because he didn't want to see the video. the judge asked him several times, can you be quiet? >> reporter: cowell, who is schizophrenic came back after the d.a. said the killing wasn't planned. christina moore said this isn't a case of whodunit. he did it, she told the jury. >> i just want to see justice. justice for the family. justice for nia. >> i'd like him to go to prison and they lock him up, and throw away the key. >> reporter: cowell's been charged with murder, attempted murder. >> he was running away, and describe what he did as police were running toward what was happening. >> reporter: right, so at one point, this was caught on surveillance video. police officers who were a

it started this morning when the defendant, john lee cowell refused to come into the courtroom. it took more than an hour for his attorney to persuade him to come into the court and take the stand, but he wasn't there for long. >> he showing signs of manipulation. >> the sister of bart stabbing victim nia wilson doesn't buy that nia's alleged killer, testifying in his own defense, is mentally ill. >> he want to project his feelings on to others so he won't -- we won't get a answer. >> john lee cowell lasted just 15 minutes on the witness stand. during process by alameda county prosecutor pitch ford, cowell became combative, saying he remembered the knife held up before him, but not the july 2018 stabbing, even as he identified himself in a surveillance video. quote, i don't remember anything like that. what is this that we're watching? as the prosecutor tried to play a slow motion video, cowell kept interrupting and unleashed profanities. back the f down. and when ordered to leave, now they can't force me to say s if i'm f'ing leaving. >> he continues to answer questions until t

each time cowell said i don't remember. nia's mother says she believes it was based on the girl's skin color. >> he also said light skin, and dark skin, and fake skin. that's what made me think, no, racially motivated. >> reporter: the bottom line is whether john cowell knew what he was doing at the time of the stabbing. that will be up to the jury of 8 women and 4 men to decide. >>> this is the time of year you count on numerous storms to move in northern california. today could not even find a cloud. temperatureswarming up well above the average. the second day in a row, we're talking about records here. santa rosa, 80 degrees. richmond, 74. napa 79. a couple of areas tied some records. coming up here at livermore, 74. another day of some very warm temperatures. san francisco 74. livermore 72. san jose in the 70s. tomorrow we will cool things off a bit, still lots of 60s for your wednesday. outside right now, the stormtrack is way up there. no chance of minimal rainfall. as you can see right now, we still have lots of 60s

these are the only words nia wilson's mother has to describe john cowell the man accused of murdering her at macarthur bart. >>> pure evil. >> reporter: alameda county prosecutors played surveillance video of the knife attack that killed wilson and left her sister wounded. >>> that is the last known image of her being happy-go- lucky knee up. just to see that last image and to know that is what he did to my baby girl. my youngest of my four children. the youngest of her dad's six. that was terrible. >> reporter: the prosecutor called it a premeditated deliberate surprise attack. the defendant john cowell had to be removed from the courtroom after aro outburst he returned but was not present for any of the afternoon sessions. her family and friends feel the gallery for day one of the trial. >>> i just want to see justice for the family. justice for nia wilson. it is hard to be here. it is hard to know she is gone. >> reporter: his defense attorney told jurors the active stabbing nia wilson is not going to be in dispute. but that her clients mental health is. she said john cowell who ha

>>reporter: john cowell testified in his own defense at his murder trial and the sheriff's deputy asked him on the stand and he told the jury he is bipolar, schizophrenic and hears voices and for the first time he gave his reason as to why he stabbed nia wilson to death and injured her sister at the bart station, they were aliens and gang members out to attack and kidnap his grandmother. he told the jury i stabbed both of the females because i believe they would not give my grandmother back. the mother of nia wilson does not buy it.>> on the stand galice it she was pointing at other passengers while staring at him but they say there was no contact with him before the stabbing and cowl gave random and incoherent testimony, talk about radios placed in his ear and was often at odds with his own attorney and confirming basic facts and dates. >> i believe 75% of it are made up, 25% i think it's racially motivated. he keeps talk about black women and gang members. >> with cowell taking center stage many of the family believes it is all an act prosecutor butch ford vigorously cross-examined co

the man accused, john lee cowell, took the stand to share his wild explanation. kpix 5's juliette goodrich says nia wilson's family isn't buying his act. >> reporter: he went through a range of emotions today. this morning he was subdued, almost appeared vacant, and then late this afternoon he threw quite a temper tantrum, even accusing the prosecution of being disrespectful and rude, and prosecutors fired back saying you're just putting on a show. >> very difficult, especially for the girls to have to sit here and hear him not owing up to what he's done. >> reporter: dressed in conservative clothing, cowell's testimony said he hears alien voices from technology planted in his here. he also said the wilson aliens kidnapped his grandmother and threatened to assault her. his attorney claims he's not competent to stand trial. a court appointed psychologist disagreed. >> i don't know what alienation planet he got that idea from. that is just absurd. sense. we're not aliens. if i'm an alien, you one too! >> reporter: with nia wilson's 2 sisters and family in the court

day two of john lee cowell's testimony lasted only 15 minutes. he was agitated, belligerent, and combative toward the prosecutor. the judge ordered deputies to remove him from the courtroom. >> he kept saying last time you said i'm not found guilty, so what do you want me to say now? last time you say i'm not guilty, and he just started like getting really hyper and hyper and hyper. >> reporter: the outburst happened as the prosecutor was showing surveillance video of the attack on a bart platform in oakland that killed nia wilson in 2018. wilson's family and friends say he was tton a performance, almost worthy of an oscar nomination. >> we hope the jury sees what it is too. it's a show, it's an act. he's very smart. he's using big words. >> i believe he's been coached. it's just an act to me. he's showing signs of manipulation. >> reporter: nia wilson's sister survived the stabbing. cowell says he attacked them because they're aliens that hurt his grandmother. he has a diagnosed history of mental illness including schizophrenia and pleads not gu

. >>> an emotional day in court today at the trial of john cowell. two sisters described her last moments after she was stabbed at a b.a.r.t. station in oakland. henry lee joins us now with more on what happened. >> reporter: julie, it was absolutely heart wrenching. these young women talking about the last time they ever saw their sister. it was so difficult for them, they broke down, and the judge called for a recess. >> reporter: through sobs, two sisters testified in the murder trial of john cowell. both broke down on the stand, and the judge called for a break. >> for them to have to witness something like that, you know, i can't even imagine it, that's my baby girl. >> reporter: cowell is accused of killing nia, and trying to stab her sister latifah. latifah took the stand, i can't latifah became sick during court. they told the jury, they saw nia falling or tripping into the b.a.r.t. train, and realizing she had been stabbed. nia called out latifah's name. tashiya testified, i was in shock. alicia gracen said it was gut wrenching for her siste

. >>> john lee cowell took the stand in his own trial after initially refusing to come into the courtroom. henry lee was in court, telling us that he was thrown out of court for repeatedly is wearing during cross-examination.>> reporter: it was a day of defiance for accused murderer, john lee cowell. he did refuse to come to court. later, after showing up because he was ordered to by the judge, he was drawn out for cursing at the da and refusing to answer questions. >> this is just an act.>> reporter: latifah wilson was also stabbed in the neck during the incident. >> he is showing signs of manipulation. he knows what reverse psychology is. >> reporter: john lee cowell came unglued when he was shown surveillance video killing nia wilson. he gestured with both hands and shouted, i don't know what that is . the da repeatedly asked him to look at the video, he became angry, saying, back off and continue to curse. the judge ordered the deputies to remove him. the defendant yelled, they cannot force me to say anything if i'm leaving. supporters of the victim say that he is being selective and

>> we are hearing today that one of cowell's family members sent some time on the stand today? saying what? >> reporter: his aunt was on the stand is all trying to show and provide examples of his mental state, saying that, he had mental illness before this murder, but the prosecutor had a very good cross the cross examination, the prosecutor was trying to attack the ants credibility, saying that, hey, before when investigators actually interview you, you did not talk much about the mental illness, you talked a lot more about the addiction. that's how the prosecution attacked her credibility. >>>>> chief police a new tact is to crack down crime are working. kpix 5 anchor elizabeth cook -- with the new data.>> reporter: alvarez started at the two-day meeting. he credited some of the systems newest safety initiatives for a drop in crime, bart says crime is down 18% systemwide when comparing january of 2019 to january 2020. cell phone that shows a bedrock -- a big drop, versus 74 for the same time last year, the chief says the increase presence is paying off, we asked some passeng

john lee cowell is accused of killing wilson in a unprovoked attack at the mcarthur b.a.r.t. station in oakland. christie smith joins us from the courthouse in oakland with the details. christie? >> reporter: well, john lee cowell was let out of court in oakland after an outburst, disagreeing with what the prosecutor was saying and he only came back for what amounted to a short amount of tie-- amou of time and he was not in court when the brutal attack was played. >> i was just too devastated to watch. >> reporter: emotions ran high in court as surveillance video showed the horrific stabbing of nia wilson at the b.a.r.t. station. there were sobs and silence. wilson's mother spoke to us during a break about the case. >> pure evil. evil. evilness. that is evilness. how could you do something to these beautiful young women. they didn't do nothing. they didn't see him. they didn't react to him. they don't know him. pure evil. >> reporter: prosecutors laid out the opening arguments in the trial of john lee cowell, describing a premeditated deliberate surprise attack in 2018. >> it

for accused murderer john lee cowell. at first he refused to come to court and later after showing up because he was ordered to by the judge, he was soon thrown out for cursing at the da and refusing to answer questions. latifah was stabbed in the neck by cowell. >> he is showing signs of manipulation. he knows what reverse psychology is. >> campbell became unglued as a prosecutor tried to show him graphic surveillance video. he gestured at the tv screen and said i don't know what that is. as the da repeatedly asked cowell to look at the video he became angry saying back the [bleep] off. he continued to curse. supporters of the victim are saying he is being selective on how he answers questions. >> he continues to answer questions until the whole court room can see that he's about to be caught. >> cows and acknowledged that she never mentioned aliens or fake skin in an interview with defense. because john cowell never completed his testimony, it could have been thrown out, but the judge indicated he will not declare a mis

the suspect john cowell went on trial today. andrea was in the courtroom.>> reporter: at least one juror started tearing up this morning during the opening argument of the prosecution. that is when they played the final video the final moments aware nia wilson was alive and stabbed to death on a bart platform. these are the only words nia wilson's mother has to describe john cowell the man accused of murdering her at macarthur bart. >>> pure evil. >> reporter: alameda county prosecutors played surveillance video of the knife attack that killed wilson and left her sister wounded. >>> that is the last known image of her being happy-go- lucky knee up. just to see that last image and to know that is what he did to my baby girl. my youngest of my four children. the youngest of her dad's six. that was terrible. >> reporter: the prosecutor called it a premeditated deliberate surprise attack. the defendant john cowell had to be removed from the courtroom after aro outburst he returned but was not present for any of the afternoon session

next up, john cowell himself is set to take the stand tomorrow. and assuming he does do that, the d.a. will be available to cross examine him. >> he wasn't there today, we are expecting him tomorrow. what has been the reason for him not coming? why did he not show up today? >> reporter: the reason, he has chosen not to be there. some cynics are saying is part of a employ. keep in mind, in all the pretrial hearings, he never spoke out. whether this is part of a ruse, or an act remains to be seen. we'll see tomorrow if he says anything substantive on the stand. >>> b.a.r.t. launched their long awaited ambassadors program this afternoon. they are also riding on some of the trains to hopefully give passengers an extra sense of security. >> many b.a.r.t. riders now have some extra company on the platforms, and on the trains. they're called ambassadors. >> the visibility. you know there's someone around to be helpful, and to take care of you, so to speak. they have your back. >> reporter: under this pilot program, ten new unarmed ambassadors break off i

his name is john lee cowell. the d.a. said cowell launched a surprise tactical assault. the d.a.d cowell threw the knife into a construction area, changed his clothes, and even ran past responding police officers, pointing them to the station to get them off his trail. cowell was booted for repeatedly speaking out during the d.a.'s opening statement. >> i think he got kicked out on purpose, because he didn't want to see the video. that's what i honestly think. the judge asked him several times, can you be quiet? >> reporter: but cowell came back when the d.a. said this isn't a case of want to see justice. justice for the family, justice lock him up and throw away the key. >> reporter: if convicted, he could face the rest of his life in prison. in oakland, henry lee, ktvu, fox 2 news. >> investigators searched four locations in the disappearance of kristin smart. she's the cal poly student who disappeared. search warrants were served on locations in san luis obispo, and los angeles counties. one of the homes searched belongs to a man who is a person of interest in this case. he is

dressed in conservative clothing, john lee cowell's testimony continued down an unusual path. he claimed the wilson sisters were aliens that kidnapped his grandmother and threatened to assault her. his attorney claims he's not mentally competent for trial. a court appointed psychologist disagreed. >> i don't know what planet he got from from. that's just absurd. no, it doesn't make any sense. we are not aliens. if i'm an alien, you one too! >> reporter: 29-year-old cowell is charged with murder and attempted murder for allegedly randomly stabbing nia wilson and her sister at the bart station platform on the way home from a family gathering. he admits to having schizophrenia and antisocial personality disorder and drug problems. with wilson's 2 sisters and family in the courtroom, today's testimony was difficult for them to process. >> very difficult. especially for the girls to sit here and not hear him owning up to what he's done. >> reporter: cowell was couroom last week due to an outburst. he was subdued until late this afternoon when he started acting up. that's when the j

.>> reporter: we have more courtroom antics by john lee cowell. wilson's family and the da are saying he is putting on an act. it was a day of defiance for accused murderer, john cowell. at first he refused to come to court. later, after he shut up because he was ordered to, he was thrown out for cursing at the da and refusing to answer questions. >> it is just an act. >> reporter: letifah wilson was stabbed in the neck by john lee cowell. he is accused of killing her sister, nia wilson. >> he showed signs of manipulation. he does know about reverse psychology. >> reporter: john lee cowell came unglued as he was shown surveillance kitty a video of him killing nia wilson. he gestured with both hands at the tv screen and shouted, i don't know what that is. as the da repeatedly asked him to look at the video, he became angry, saying, back off. the judge ordered the deputies to remove 29. he yelled, they cannot force me to say this if i am leaving. the supporters of the victim say that he is being selective in how he answers questions. >> he continues

justice for nia wilson. >> reporter: john cowell schizophrenia was to blame. and that he visited doctors complaining of voices urging him to hurt people. days before her death. her mother said she will attend every day of the trial. >>> i'm just trying to do this for my daughter. she would want me to get through this. and be a strong person. and keep her name alive. that is my motivation.>> reporter: we have heard from the first three prosecution witnesses in the case. the first two older video technicians from bart and bart pd respectively. the third and officer from bart pd the man who found what is believed to be his clothes. inside the parking garage at macarthur station. and what is believed to be the murder weapon a knife thrown into a construction zone just outside macarthur bart on 40th street. >>> nearly 200 people evacuated from china the epicenter of the coronavirus are spending their first night under quarantine at travis air force base in fairfield. are among 350 passengers that landed at the base this morning. a second flight refueled at the base

john lee cowell has pleaded not guilty and is facing life in prison if convicted and dozens of say four union employees prepared to go on strike in san mateo county. they have canceled the contract with safeway demanding higher wages and more full-time opportunities but the union still needs approval before you walk out. safeway responded to say we remain committed to bargaining in good faith with the union to reach an agreement to provide a competitive compensation package and provide a package. >> deliberations began in a new york courtroom today and the jury will decide the movie moguls fate in his chores with sexual assault and predatory sexual assault in the cases of two women. it could put him behind bars for the rest of his life. >>> a uber whistleblower who prompted a major restructuring of the company gave her first tv interview. she talked about the multiple allegations she made while working for the right sharing giant when she was on "cbs this morning" . >> anytime i made a complaint and i did over the span of the of that i was there. they would say this is the first offense

john lee cowell did not take the stand yesterday after an outburst at previous hearings. the defense team had john lee cowell testify that the family of nia wilson believes he was putting on an act and cowell has pleaded not guilty and faces life in prison if convicted. >>> thousands of people who are quarantined over the coronavirus in japan will be free to go home today but hundreds of americans who were on board and were evacuated are now on another lockdown pick some of them were sent to travis air force base in california the first round are heading home and they have been best to sacramento. napa county reports its first confirmed case of the coronavirus on another patient is getting checked out. two cases is the max the county can take. >> those who tested nevitt it started leaving the christian and departure comes the same day japanese officials announced more infections on board, bringing the total up to more than 600. a specialist who says he boarded the ship went on social media to criticize officials for failing to follow basic protocol. >> there was no single

here is the mugshot of john lee cowell when he was arrested the day after the stabbing in july 2018. he is charged with murder and attempted murder at the platform. he had been lying in wait and the prosecution showed a series of videos of the moments leading up to the stabbing following the suspect following the wilson sisters from the concord station going in the same car as them and ultimately attacking as they changed trains at cotoday. out it n the couroom with th defendant. >> it is frustrating. especially when he comes out and he is greeting the family. it is really humiliating and it gets really emotional. especially when the family is having flashbacks of receiving the news of the day. >> reporter: it is been 1.5 years and the crime occurred. the lawyers were going back and forth on whether or not john lee cowell was fit to stand trial and today the prosecution showed the video emphasizing how calm the killer appeared to be and should him later hiding evidence pointing police away from himself and changing his appearance with a premeditated attack against nia wilson and her

cowell made a remark after he got out. repeatedly speaking out during the d.a. statements. >> i think he got kicked out on purpose because he didn't want to see the video. the judge asked him several times can you be quiet. >> i don't want to go to prison and they locked him up and throw away the key. >> cowell who is schizophrenic later came back and said the killing was not planned but was a rash act fuelled by his psychosis and delusions. he could spend the rest of his life in prison. >>> time is now 4:08. starting today the city of fremont will be installing boulders aimed at stopping people from parking there. in recent months, people living in their cars, rvs and campers have moved in taking up many of the parking spaces. there's concern about property damage, traffic safety and also trash. >> i think it's terrible. everybody knows there's homeless people around. we're out of the way it's an industrial area but nobody's ever came across the street and said hey you shouldn't be here or nothing like that. i don't know. they just all of a sudden put up the si

cowell made a remark. cowell was eventually removed from the courtroom for speaking out during the d.a.'s statement. >> i think he got kicked out because he didn't want to see the video. . >> cowell who is schizophrenic came back later when his attorney told the jury the killing was not planned but instead was a rash act of impulse ift fuelled by his psychosis and delusion. cowell is also facing charges for stabbing nia wilson's sister. he could spend the rest of his life in prison. >>> happening right now in washington d.c., we're right there. these are live pictures. president trump is starting his day attending this, the national prayer breakfast in washington d.c.. the president has not spoken yet, but he's preparing to speak. again, you can see it's a very large room about 4,000 religious leaders and political leaders come to this annual event, the national prayer breakfast. every president since dwight eisenhower has attended and spoken at the national prayer breakfast. and we'll be watching for when

cowell is accused of murder and attempted murder. last week cowell was kicked out of the courtroom bhiel shouting pro fan ties on the witness stand. . >>> it is now 4:07 this morning. a group of americans who arrived at the travis air force base are due to leave. 178 passengers were on that first flight of americans from wuhan, china to travis air force base. they've been quarantined at a hotel there. temperatures have been checked twice a day making sure they're not infected with the coronavirus. when they leave, they'll receive paper work and a wristband that says they are cleared of the virus. >> as that one group of evacuees leaves travis and another group is starting their quarantine. rob roth reports 1701 new arrivals are settling at the base. >> the evacuees are off the diamond cruise ship in japan. 14 people on the ship tested positive for coved 19. the 14th patient stayed in texas. a statement from travis says quote none of the passengers on the installation have tested positive or are symptomatic. one passenger sarah rob le

suspect john lee cowell lasted about 15 minutes on the witness stand today. he yelled a bunch of profanities at the prosecutor before being escorted out by deputies. the defense team put him on the stand to show jurors his mental state, but wilson's family and friends belief the outburst was cowell putting on an act. >> he kept saying last time you said i'm not found guilty, so what do you want me to say now? he just started like getting really hyper and hyper and hyper. >> i believe he's been coached. it's just an act to me. um, he's showing signs of manipulation. >> cowell will not be taking the witness stand after today's outburst. he's pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. >>> we are just over 3 weeks away from the california primary, and for the first time in decades, the stakes are high in the delegate rich golden state. kpix 5's joe vazquez on the democratic presidential candidates headed to the bay area to win your vote. >> reporter: the campaign office of michael bloomberg opened tonight in pleasant hill. with the california primary just a couple

. >>> an explosive start to the high-profile john lee cowell case.cused of killing nia wilson and stabbing her sister at the macarthur bart station two years ago. but cowell was not seen in the courtroom. a judge had him removed following an outburst. during the trial jurors were shown graphic surveillance video that showed the horrific stabbing. prosecutors described the crime as a premeditated and deliberate surprise attack. wilson's mother says she wants to see him go to prison. >> pure evil. evil. evilness. how could you do something like that? >> cowell's lawyer described his client's battle with schizophrenia in his opening statement, saying cowell committed the crime because of his delusional misinterpretation of the world. >>> well, tomorrow the man at the center of the corruption scandal in san francisco will be back in court. mohammed nuru, the head of the city's public works, is accused of illegal schemes including bribes for government contracts. the investigation is part of a wide-ranging fbi corruption case. nuru faces up to 25 years in

. >> john lee cowell testified in his own defense in his murder trial. as a just to be set next to him he told the jury that he is bipolar, schizophrenic and hears voices. and for the first time he gave his reason for why he stabbed nia to death and injured her sister latifah. they were aliens and gang members out to attack and kidnap his grandmother. he told the jury i stabbed both of the females because i believe they would not give my grandmother back. >> i think he's delusional, i see it. >> cowell said nia and her sister were pointing at him. he often gave incoherent answers, talking about miniature radios implanted in his ear and fake skin as well as white skin and black skin. he was often at odds with his own attorney in confirming facts and dates. >> i believe 75% is made up, and 25% is racially motivated. he's talking about black women, and gang members. >> with cowell taking center stage, mindy of the family believes it was all an act. he was asked if it was true that he was at drug and alcohol user, and cowell said i don't remember. nia's moth

that was my baby girl. >> reporter: john cowell was accused of killing nia wilson and trying to kill her sister, letifah at the bart station in oakland. letifah took the stand and said she couldn't go on when they showed surveillance video before the attack. letifah became sick in court. through tears, she and her sister said they sunday a falling and tripping on the bart train and realized she had been stabbed. neo called out letifah's name. tashiya testified, i was in shock, trying to figure out what happened. she said nia wilson was holding her neck and blood was coming out of her mouth. they called her dad to come to the station and alisha grayson said it was gut-wrenching for neo's sisters to relive the last moments. >> she got physically sick on the stand and the other one, i could see it in her face, the discussed. >> reporter: neo's mother has been in court every day and john cowell has repeatedly refused to come to trial. he has pleaded not to by reason of insanity. >> that must be his strategy. any sane person would be in court. >> reporter: henry lee, ktvu, fox news. >>> i

each time cowell said i don't remember. >> in riverside county evacuated americans toss their masks in celebration as their quarantine ended. they been monitored at a reserve base since arriving from china on january 29. among them was a woman from palo alto and her 15-year-old daughter. they had traveled to wuhan china to visit her mother who is sick. halfway through the trip the city went on lockdown. she says she is grateful for the government's help in the long trip home. >> i used to hate the long drive from los angeles to the bay area. but yesterday, i had a new appreciation for life. each minute, each second is wonderful. to make she says she can't wait to be reunited with her two other children that are staying with friends in san jose. chinese health officials said today that the number of cases of the coronavirus in mainland china has gone up to more than 44,000. they say the rate of new infections is slower than yesterday. more than 1100 people in china have died from coronavirus. >>> now to santa clara where city leaders heard from residents about a serious speeding problem

. >> reporter: john lee cowell talked a lot about having voices in his head, he has said there is alien technology planted in his ear and they've been using a radio to communicate with him. an obvious case of mental illness, he says some people wear fake skin, skin suits and that he believed the wilson sisters, the victims in this crime were aliens. he said he was being threatened by them, that they had kidnapped his grandmother and was threatening to harm his grandmother and this was the only way he was going to be able to save her. he said they were standing over him on the bart train dve thaty schizophrenia and also an antisocial personality disorder as well as several drug problems and he gave a lot of conflicting answers on the stand to his own lawyer about medications he may or may not be taking, and his prior hospitalizations. john lee cowell is 29, he's charged with murder and attempted murder accused of stabbing 18-year-old nia wilson and her sister on the platform. this happened a year and half ago, july 2018. he's also being charged with a special circumstance allegation that

but his lawyers say cowell was delusional. they called several psychiatrists to testify saying cowell reported hearing voices and that he was suicidal. nia wilson's sister latifa who was also attacked does not believe the insanity defense. >> he's a drug addict. he continuously checked himself into mental homes just so he could either get cleaned up off the drugs that he used the days before or he wants to calm it down he's getting ready for his next usage. >> cowell was thrown out of court for spouting profanities in court. now he's refusing to come to court. closing arms are due to begin in march. >>> for the second straight day mcclymonds high school will be closed. results from an environmental testing of an area where a petroleum tank was removed last fall detected levels of tce in the ground water but not the drinking water. the school district held a community meeting last night to try to update students and parents. >> the levels we're seeing here are just above the levels where there might be a problem. they're not at

each time, cowell said i don't remember. nia's mother believes the attack was based on the girl's skin color. >> he also said light skin, and dark skin, and fake skin. that's what made me think, no, racially motivated. >> reporter: there's a court holiday tomorrow, and john cowell will be back on the stand thursday for more cross examination. >> henry, i'm just wondering, with him giving all of these strange answers, what was the jury's reaction to all of this from. >> reporter: you can see some jurors were kind of looking at him, realizing this person seems to be essentially 51-50, or a mentally challenged person. it remains to be seen whether or not they convict him of first degree murder. >> reporter: henry lee in our newsroom tonight, thank you. >> joining us now to talk more about this is our legal expert, michael cardoza. what can the defense gain by putting him on the stand, and what are the risks? >> you hope to gain in this half, because this trial is in two parts. you have a guilt portion. the jury leaves after tha

cowell's attorney doesn't deny he stabbed them but says cowell did it while suffering delusions. the prosecution has wrapped up its case. the defense is expected to start with cowell on the stand if he decides to appear. >>> the new hampshire primary is under way this morning. there have been a few surprises already this morning. senator amy klobuchar is leading in three small townships. michael bloomberg won for both democrats and republicans in another township though he's not on the ballot. polls have shown bernie sanders, who hails from neighboring vermont, with the lead followed by former mayor pete buttigieg. new hampshire's ballot is much easier than the iowa caucuses. results could be in as soon as tonight. reggie? >> please, we don't need any more drama. >>> jill biden took security matters into her own hands when a heckler tried approaching her husband. >> we want trump. we want trump. we want trump. >> jill biden and others, as you can see, physically blocked the protester from getting any closer to presidential candidate joe biden and later joked she's a good philly g

cowell was forcibly removed from the courtroom last week due to an outburst. at that time he was subdued. subdued until late this afternoon when he started to throw that temper tantrum. in fact at one point the judge stopped everything and told him to count to 10 just to calm things down. court resumes on thursday, tomorrow is a court holiday. >> i have to ask you, to you, did it seem like cowell was trying to play to the jury? >> reporter: you know, i was trying to pay close attention to that and just look at his mannerisms, how he was answering questions. i think by late this afternoon, he just became agitated, and then he got down this spiral of answering questions and talking out of context action and then it became quite personal between him and the prosecutor where he just thought the prosecution was rude, and he wanted nothing of it. that's when the judge said let's call it quits and resume on thursday. >> all right, we'll see what happens when they get back in court. juliette goodrich in oakland, thank you so much. >>> i'm ken bastida at the live news

cowell has admitted to the deadly stabbing but his attorney is using an insanity defense and cowell has refused to return to court after the judge ordered him escorted out of the building due to bad behavior. >>> new at 11:00, people who live in the bay area are increasingly becoming more and more unhappy. that's according to a poll of registered voters conducted for the east bay times and the silicon valley leadership group. they cite issues with homelessness, longer commutes and the high cost of housing. >>> as we push into this week, i hope you had a nice weekend. the w for february. we had plenty of sunshine. temperatures on friday were off the charts. mid 70s. the last couple days, saturday and sunday, mid 60s, upper 60s. a little bit of patchy coastal fog. big ridge of high pressure is going nowhere. that's sorts of the weather story for this week and the next week too. everything under here is sinking. all that air is sinking. that's why it's dry basically and that's why we're not seeing any rain and won't see any rain. normally in a good winter, that thing would bust through the

. >>> back in the bay area can the the man accused in the deadly stabbing of nia wilson, john cowell, a schizophrenic gave to rambling answers on things from fake skin to alien her when she was stabbed to death at the macarthur b.a.r.t. station. both testified yesterday. henry lee has more on their emotional testimony. >> reporter: true sobs, two sisters of nia wilson testified in the murder trial of john cowell, both broke down on the stand and the judge called for a break. >> so hard to have to witness something like that, you know, i could not even imagine that is my baby girl. >> reporter: cowell accused of killing nina and her sister by stabbing them in the neck at the macarthur station. she said i cannot go on to watch b.a.r.t. surveillance video showing the moments before the attack. she became sick in court. through tears, she and her sister told the jury they saw nia tripping or falling into the b.a.r.t. training and realized she had been stabbed. video shows neil holding her neck in shock. she testified i was in shock, trying to figure out what happened. neil was holding her

john lee cowell first refused to come to court this morning. he was then removed from the courtroom after repeatedly swearing his answers across the room. he suffers from schizophrenic delusions. he has admitted to stabbing nia wilson to death. on tuesday, he testified he believed the wilson sisters were aliens and members of a gang out to attack and kidnap his graurnl. the district attorney says cowell's testimony will be thrown out if he is not cross- examined. >>> china has reported a spike in the new cases of the deadly coronavirus. at least 15 cases have been confirmed here in the united states. benjamin hall has more from london. >> the chinese government reporting a huge up tick in coronavirus cases overnight as the deadly outbreak keeps spreading. more than 250 deaths and 15,000 infected setting single-day records and raising concerns about containment procedures. the surge in cases reflect a new way of diagnosing the virus in the field to help expedite treatment. >> the suspected cases will be confirmed as clinical diagnosis cases so t

cowell's attorney said her client had severe delusions and paranoia, but a judge ruled cowell was fit to stand still. opening statements will start today. >>> san jose police need help identifying three suspects in a deadly stabbing. they just released this surveillance video which was taken after the attack. you can see the three suspects are seen running across the street on alum rock avenue. the suspects are thought to be in their early teens. an 18-year-old man was killed in october after a fight broke out on alum rock avenue near highway 101. >>> abc7 is focused on the ways that people are building a better area, that includes addressing the housing crisis. daly city will break ground on a four story complex that will be rented at below market rates to teachers and staff of the jefferson union high school district. the building will contain 120 units. this is the nation's first bond-funded school district housing project. >>> the 49ers will head into the >>> first san francisco decided to ban private cars on market street, now another bay area city is considering a similar restri

she said that cowell began using drugs at the age of 12. the psychiatrist who treated cowell just days before the attack, says was prescribed anti-psychotic medication. >>> accused of sexually assaulting a woman at a local gym during a workout class. jonathan anderson was arrested monday evening. police say he went inside a 24 hour fitness where a woman was doing pushups with a class. they say he shoved her down and assaulted her. another gym member intervened, and they were able to hold anderson down. he's now facing charges for sexual battery. >>> around 6:30 this morning, officers received a report of an injured woman inside a silver bmw at the jack in a box on west wenten avenue. the woman was taken to the hospital. anyone with information about the woman who was hurt is asked to give hayward police a call. >>> we're coming right back with the weather forecast that includes some spring-like weather. we'll talk about it when i return. >>> right now we go to ktvu's alex savidge, in the newsroom with a look at some of the stories we're wor

john lee cowell was kicked out of the courtroom after a loud profane and profanity-filled outburst. powell is accused of killing nia wilson and her sister. he refused go to court and the judge ordered him to testify and he was quickly kicked out during cross examination. the district attorney was trying to get cowell to look at surveillance video of the actual attack. >> he's showing signs of manipulation. he knows what reverse psychology is. >> he tennessee to answer questions until the courtroom act what is he's doing, and then he acts like he's crazy. >> a forensic psychologist says he has a long history of mental problems. cowell's behavior was similar to his mother's who also had mental health problems opinion. >>> 7:15. despite safety concerns, crime on bart is down compared to this time last year. bart's police chief says crime is down 18% when you compare it to january of this year. you compare january of this year to january of 2019. bart also says it's been a big drop in cell phone thefts. in january of last year, there were 74 compared to 46 this year. the police chief sa