WINDSOR – Tears were abundant Thursday afternoon as a guilty verdict in the first-degree murder trial of Antwan Pittman was read and the 33-year-old was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.

Pittman was convicted of strangling Taraha Shenice Nicholson, 28, and dragging her body into the woods, where it later was found by hunters on March 7, 2009.

Evidence presented during three days of testimony proved Pittman’s DNA was found inside Nicholson, but Pittman took the stand Wednesday and said the sex was consensual.

“I did not kill her,” Pittman said after the verdict was read with a tear in his eye. “You all are sending an 
innocent man to prison for life. I did not kill that woman.”

The verdict also brought tears to the eyes of the mother of the victim, Diana Nicholson.

“I was crying, but they were tears of joy,” she said. “God didn’t bring us this far to let us down.”

Tears of relief flowed from the eyes of Juray Tucker and Jackie Wiggins, whose daughters’ deaths and the deaths of at least seven others have been described as similar to Nicholson’s. No one has been charged in those deaths.

“It is a relief that Antwan Pittman won’t be able to do this to anybody else’s child. That is a big relief,” Tucker said. “Even though this really wasn’t for my baby, I am happy for Diana.”

Wiggins said the sentence of life without parole lifts a great burden from her heart.

“That is peace enough for me,” she said.

Pittman’s family also was in the courtroom when the verdict was read and had looks of disbelief on their faces.

“Now we wait for an appeal. We ain’t giving up yet,” said Karen Pittman, the defendant’s aunt. “We are coming back strong this time. There was no evidence really there.”

She said she does not believe Pittman killed Nicholson.

“He is not that type of person. He is not,” she said.

Prosecutors argued that Pittman had a proclivity for violence toward women.

“Who would a predator prey on to feed his demons and fantasies?” District Attorney Robert Evans said in his closing argument. “He’d prey on those least likely to do anything about it, and that is why (Pittman) was trolling the streets for prostitutes – because he thought he could use and abuse them, and they likely wouldn’t say anything about it.”

Witnesses testified about Nicholson’s prostitution and drug habits, which Wiggins said was difficult to listen to as her daughter battled similar addictions.

“Every time we turned around, all we heard about was their lifestyles,” Wiggins said.

She said she hopes the conviction sheds light on the problems with stereotyping people.

“The thing I hope comes out of this is that people learn not to prejudge a person because of what they do or how they do it,” she said.

Evans said Pittman stole the life of Nicholson, a mother of two.

“No matter how tragic the human condition is, no matter how down and out you are, there is always a possibility for redemption. There is always a possibility to come back,” Evans said. “He took that from Taraha. He took that away from her. He took away the possibility of hope, the possibility of redemption, the possibility that she could get back because he doesn’t think she was worth it.”

The only physical evidence connecting Pittman to Nicholson’s death was his DNA inside her. Witnesses for the prosecution testified Pittman’s computer had evidence of a web search for news on the discovery of Nicholson’s body three days after she was found.

A State Bureau of Investigation digital analyst testified he found a picture of Nicholson on Pittman’s computer that was reportedly accessed less than a month before Pittman was charged in her death. The analyst also testified about finding three short rape fantasy videos and at least seven rape-related websites accessed between May and June of 2009.

Pittman testified his computer was stored at a friend’s house and someone else must have accessed those sites.

“I know nothing about that. That is completely shocking to me, too,” Pittman said Wednesday when questioned about the files. “It had to have been my best friend or one of his friends. It was not my doing.”

Pittman also denied knowing two former 
prostitutes who were called by prosecutors Wednesday to testify about incidents where Pittman allegedly attacked them. One of Pittman’s lawyers, Tom Moore, disputed the credibility of the women during closing arguments.

Pittman’s other lawyer, Tom Sallenger, likened his defendant’s case to that of the Bible story of Joseph and the coat of many colors. Joseph’s father believed his son was dead simply because Joseph’s coat was covered in blood. Sallenger said that was circumstantial evidence, and his father didn’t find out until years later that Joseph was not dead.

“Ladies and gentlemen, in his case, the state has contended and argued to you that this case is a circumstantial case,” Sallenger said. “They can show you a series of events that are so connected they can link this man to the death of that young woman, but I say to you, that chain never was put together. That is a square peg and a round hole. The chain doesn’t work.”

Evans said he was pleased with the verdict and thanked law enforcement and his staff for their work on the case.

When asked if additional charges would follow against Pittman in the case of Wiggins’ daughter and others whose deaths have been tied to Nicholson, Evans refused to comment.