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50-year-old former pastor, Albert Weathers pleaded guilty to killing a transgender woman, identified as Kelly Stough, 36, on December 7, 2018. Last week, he was sentenced to eight years behind bars after he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and a felony firearm charge.
The victim's family stated that they are grateful for the verdict and sentencing. Although Weathers pleaded guilty last month, one of the assistant prosecutors, Lisa Lindsey stated that she did not believe he truly understood the seriousness of the incident and the impact it had on people including the victim's family, as per International Business Times.
Kelly Stough's alleged killer Albert Weathers sentenced to eight years in prison five years after her death
On December 7, 2018, at about 6 am local time, 36-year-old Kelly Stough's body was discovered from an area primarily known for prostitution and s*x work, as per Fox 2. Shortly after the shooting, Albert Weathers, who was a security guard, went to work in Detroit.
About an hour after the crime, he called 911 to report the shooting and claimed that a robbery had taken place. 50-year-old Weathers, who was also the pastor of Logos Church in Detroit, further claimed that he shot Kelly in self-defense. He initially told investigating officers:
"I was protecting myself."
He said that he grabbed his firearm only after the woman sprung on him inside his car, and demanded money. Weathers then claimed that he asked Kelly to get off him, but she charged towards him with a sharp metal item. Later, he claimed that his firearm went off accidentally, and a bullet struck the 36-year-old woman.
Albert Weathers' hour-long videotaped interview with investigators, back in 2018, revealed that he never denied killing Kelly Stough. However, his take on the chain of events was contradictory and he had several versions of the same.
According to prosecutors, the convicted man knew the victim and was a frequent visitor in the area known for prostitution. Several witnesses claimed that the former minister would pay to get intimate with Stough.
They mentioned that Albert Weathers would often be aggressive towards them, and sometimes refused to pay. During the pre-trial hearing in 2019, a local s*x worker named, Kyra Butts confirmed the same and said that she stopped going on "dates" with him for the same reason. She then testified:
"His attitude was aggressive and kind of intimidating."
Despite the testimonies and allegations against the former minister, Albert Weathers' defense lawyer David Cripps, argued that his client had no intention of killing the victim. As per Detroit News, the lawyer said:
"It was not self-defense so much as it was an accidental shooting. This isn’t an intentional shooting. I would ask the court to look at this as an accidental shooting. My client said it over and over again he was trying to get (Stough) away from the vehicle when the gun went off."
More about Kelly and her family
While digging into Kelly Stough's background, it was revealed that she had spent the early years of her life in Detroit, and then went to college in South Dakota. As per Newsweek, Stough came out as trans after she got into Chicago's International Academy of Design & Technology. She also spoke up and supported the trans community, after Amber Monroe was killed in Detroit back in 2014.
In 2015, she told the Guardian:
"The police are unaware with our struggle so they have no sympathy for us. Nobody ever asks, what happened to that person to get here?"
While the victim's family was grateful for the sentencing, they expressed how deeply Kelly's death impacted them. As per Fox 2, her mother Jessica Williams said:
"I was glad - I just wanted to hear him [Albert Weathers] admit it. 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?"
Authorities have not determined the motive behind the alleged shooting yet.
