Update (October 22, 2019): Michael White and his family said on Monday that since his acquittal on Thursday, they have received a deluge of racist harassment and threats.

A Philadelphia jury found the 22-year-old not guilty of voluntary manslaughter after he was arrested in connection with the death of real estate developer Sean Schellenger.

On July 12, 2018, White got into a dispute with Schellenger who repeatedly used racial slurs and threatened the UberEats driver.

Police said Schellenger was drunk and high on cocaine during the confrontation. According to witnesses at the scene, he yelled “move, you stupid n***ers,” and threatened to “beat the Black off” White.

Schellenger charged at White, who pulled out a knife and stabbed him in the back, killing him.

Schellenger’s mother, Linda, has turned the case into a referendum on new district attorney Larry Krasner, inflaming racial tensions in the city. After the acquittal, she shared two videos of White with the caption, “This is the man that killed my Son. These are his videos and there were many posts about killing that were suppressed by the District Attorney, Larry Krasner! The jury never got to see any of it! Obstruction of Justice. Please put Larry Krasner in jail!”

White has been living with his aunt Tanya Armstrong who said the threats have affected their entire family.

“They have been directed at Michael, but Michael is our family. If Michael is receiving threats, then we are being threatened,” Armstrong told The Philadelphia Tribune. 

On Sunday, White made an appearance at a local church and said he wanted to do what he could to heal from the situation. He said he understands the anger of Schellenger’s family and will pray for them.

“They’re in a state of mind of grief and I’m the person who is technically responsible for that. I can’t really blame you for your reaction. All I can do is move on with my life and hope that you can do the same,” White said.

"Me being free is kind of bittersweet if you think about it cause on the other side someone lost their life, and I realize that. I just hope their family finds some type of peace," White added.

White was convicted on one charge of tampering with evidence because he threw the knife onto a rooftop. His sentencing will take place in December.


Original (October 17, 2019): After three days of testimony in the trial for a white real estate developer’s death in Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Square, a jury has found 22-year-old Michael White not guilty of voluntary manslaughter. 

Jurors came to a decision Thursday afternoon, only finding White guilty of evidence tampering related to the stabbing death of Sean Schellenger. According to Fox 29, White’s lawyers said their defendant acted in self-defense against the victim on the evening of July 12, 2018. 

The Philadelphia Tribune reported Schellender and his friends were traveling in a black Mercedes when they had to stop after a gold Ford Taurus, carrying White, was stopped in the middle of the street. 

White, a former delivery courier, testified on Tuesday that Schellenger’s friend and passenger William Norris Jordan yelled, “Move, you stupid ni***rs.” White said the comment made him “uncomfortable.” 

During White’s testimony, he said the real estate developer then exited the vehicle and approached the driver’s side of the Taurus. 

“This is really no reason to act like a tough guy,” the 22-year-old said he told Schellenger.

From there, matters escalated when the then-37-year-old reportedly told White that he would “beat the Black off” him. 

A physical struggle between the two men ensued, and White pulled a hunting knife from his backpack, resulting in White stabbing Schellenger in the back. 

“I was trying to get him off me. I wasn’t trying to kill nobody,” White said during testimony. “I was defending myself. I was thinking I could die.”

Toxicology reports determined Schellenger, who was 50 pounds heavier than White, had alcohol and cocaine in his system at the time of death. 

While prosecutors insisted White should not have engaged with the victim, the defense brought witnesses to emphasize the 22-year-old’s split-second reaction. Renowned Temple University professor and political commentator Marc Lamont Hill was among the witnesses who spoke on behalf of White.

Fox 29 reports the district attorney dropped a third-degree murder charge before the trial, a call strongly criticized by the victim’s mother. 


ManslaughterMichael-Whitenot-guiltySean-SchellengerStabbing