The Family of Nia Wilson files claim against BART, Latest Update

Less than four weeks after the violent murder of 18-year-old BART rider Nia Wilson at Oakland’s MacArthur station, attorneys representing her family have filed a claim against the transit agency alleging that her death was preventable.

According to the claim, BART failed to take action when the suspect, John Cowell, is believed to have jumped a BART turn-style to avoid paying a fair and that the agency should have known he was a threat, because two other riders complained about his behavior in the days prior to Wilson’s death.

John Cowell was arrested while riding a BART train a day after allegedly slashing Wilson’s throat on the MacArthur station platform on July 22 around 9:35 p.m. Cowell also stabbed her sister Letifah Wilson, 26, in her neck as another sister, Tashiya Wilson, 21, watched in horror.

Cowell has been charged with murder for allegedly killing NiaWilson and with premeditated attempted murder for the alleged attack on Letifah Wilson.

At his San Francisco office Friday morning, accompanied by Wilson’s sisters and her parents, Attorney Robert Arns said, “What the family wants to do with this lawsuit, one of the main things, is make BART safe for everyone. Nia, in her short life at age 18, she wanted to save lives,” he said, adding that she dreamt of becoming a medical technician and joining the U.S. Navy.

“Nia’s death is not some horrific anomaly that occurred in two seconds and that nobody could do anything about,” he said. “There’s a serious and endemic public safety problem on BART and just about everybody who rides BART knows that.”

According to the claim, BART has continuously failed to stop people sneaking onto the system without paying.

Arns said his attorneys plan to prove a link between fare evasion and crime on public transportation, adding that public records show more than 22,000 people ride BART illegally on a daily basis.

Arns said Cowell had been cited for fare evasion on BART at least once before.

In addition, Arns said two different people have contacted his law firm since Nia Wilson’s murder, claiming that Cowell had threatened them on BART in the days before the July 22 killing.

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I truly hope this works out in the family favor since all the warning signs were there. Sadly this is what happens when people don't do their jobs correctly. I do believe this could've been prevented if proper action was taken at the time people were complaining about him. Cowell the suspect court appearance for the murder and attempted murder will be held on August 22.