The killer of Nia Wilson appeared in court Monday for his parole violation hearing as authorities continue to investigate whether or not the tragic murder was a hate crime.
John Cowell, 27, violated his parole last week after he was charged with the murder and attempted murder of Wilson and her sister, Letifah Wilson. It has also been revealed that he was released on parole four months ago after spending two years in prison for robbery, ABC 7reports.
The two Wilson sisters were viciously stabbed by Cowell, a white man, while in a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) train station in Oakland, California in mid-July.
But officials still haven’t released information about the motive of the attack, which a police chief compared to a “prison yard assault.”
Although many have concluded that the attack was racially motivated, authorities claim they don’t yet have evidence to back up that claim.
Nevertheless, Wilson’s family and members of the local community where she lived feel the murder should be considered a hate crime without questions.
“It is a hate crime,” Malika Harris, Wilson’s other sister told CNN on Thursday. “That’s how I feel, okay?”
Cowell’s next court appearance for the murder and the attempted murder charges is scheduled for August 22.
