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Accused Killer of 2 Bushwick Teens Fires Lawyer for Not Being 'Transparent'

By Gwynne Hogan | May 12, 2017 2:01pm
 Kwahuru Govan, 38, fired his court-appointed attorney Friday.
Kwahuru Govan, 38, fired his court-appointed attorney Friday.
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DNAinfo/Gwynne Hogan

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — The man charged in two cold-case murders of Bushwick teenagers fired his court-appointed attorney Friday, claiming the man hadn't kept him informed about the progress of the case.

Kwahuru Govan, 38, who was indicted for the 2004 murder of Sharabia Thomas, and the 2005 killing of Rashawn Brazell, fired attorney Fred Spiegel and demanded a new one from Justice Neil Jon Firetog Friday in Brooklyn Supreme Court.

"At this point in time [Mr. Spiegel] has not been transparent with me or my family. How can he be more transparent then he’s already been?” he said.

Firetog urged Govan to reconsider, explaining the man's case has not even begun yet.

"I’m not exactly sure, Mr. Govan, what your issue is. It’s too early in this case for some of the investigation you are concerned about," Firetog said. "He has to get the DNA from the people, the file from the people. He has to then hire an expert. And that's where the case is at this point. There’s not much more he can do until he gets discovery.”

Spiegel responded that he was "corporeal. It's hard to be transparent," after getting the ax.

"I don’t have any idea what he’s talking about," he added. 

Govan was assigned Joshua Horowitz to represent him and is due back in June 30. 

Govan faces murder charges for the deaths of two Bushwick teenagers, Brazell, 19, whose body was found dismembered in a subway tunnel and Thomas, 17, who was found beaten in an alleyway stuffed into laundry bags. At the time of their deaths, both teens lived within a few blocks of Govan in Bushwick, prosecutors said.

In February, Govan delayed his indictment by shouting and struggling with court officers trying to take his fingerprints.

Brazell's mother, Desire, was sitting in the courtroom Friday.

She dismissed Govan's lawyer change as yet another delay tactic.

"He's victimizing us all over again," she said.