DA Moves to Drop 3rd-Degree Murder Charge Against College Student Accused of Killing Developer in Rittenhouse Square

Philadelphia's District Attorney wants to drop third-degree murder charges against a 22-year-old former college student accused of stabbing and killing a real estate developer in July 2018, according to a court filing.

Michael White still is charged with voluntary manslaughter in the death of Sean Schellenger near Philadelphia's Rittenhouse Square.

White's lawyers have called the case a "confluence of race and class," citing disparaging racial remarks Schellenger allegedly made during the confrontation.

According to White's attorney, Dan Stevenson, Schellenger said, "I'm going to beat the black off you" before the fight turned bloody.

The District Attorney's filing Friday seems to reference those remarks, saying that "self-defense or acting under a sudden or intense passion from serious provocation" are defenses that White could have used against the third-degree murder charge.

The filing also indicates there could be new charges in the case, including tampering with evidence and obstructing justice. Jury selection in the case is still scheduled to start Monday.

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The case was closely followed in Philadelphia.

A toxicology report later determined that 37-year-old Schellenger had a blood alcohol level of .199, more than double the legal limit to drive, and tested positive for cocaine. 

"This was a situation where a rich, white man using cocaine ... was in the process of taking White to the ground," said White's attorney, Stevenson, when he had asked in October 2018 that the murder charge be dismissed. "It was not an aggressive move on White's part at all."

Witness statements made during the 2018 hearing described a verbal argument gone horribly wrong. 

Schellenger had been out partying with friends and was traveling in a black Mercedes when the incident unfolded.

Earlier in the night, Schellenger had bumped into Philadelphia restaurateur William Jordan outside Rogue. They jumped into Jordan's Mercedes and were heading down Chancellor Street toward 17th Street when traffic came to a stop.

Schellenger got out of Jordan's car and exchanged words with the driver of a car that was idling in front of them. 

White, who was working as a delivery man that night, road up on his red bicycle and "inserted himself" in the conversation, witness Erik Peterson, a server at a nearby restaurant, said. 

Neither Peterson or Jordan heard what happened next, but both witnesses said White and Schellenger engaged, first verbally and then physically. Jordan said he heard White yell "Do you want this? You don't want this."

Schellenger advanced toward White, both Peterson and Jordan said in court. The former wrestler lowered his head and shoulders and grabbed White by the waist, lifting his feet off the ground. 

"It looked his like he wanted to drop him in a wrestling move," Jordan said. 

Jordan screamed for the two to stop fighting when he saw White retrieve a 6-inch black steel knife from his backpack. 

Jordan will never know if Schellenger heard him. He continued to advance and tackled White to the ground as the knife came down into Schellenger's back.

Wounds were later found in his back ribs, left lung and aorta, according to the Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office. 

When it was over, White stood up, Jordan said. The knife was still in his hand.

"[White] looked shocked," Jordan, Schellenger's friend of 10 years, said in court.

White and Jordan looked at each other for several seconds, Jordan said, before the 21-year-old ran down Chancellor Street.

Later, the Morgan State University student turned himself into police and cooperated with the district attorney's office. He even led them to his knife, Stevenson said.