Transgender prostitute charged in Omni murder

A transgender prostitute has been arrested and charged with murder in the slaying of a Chester County man whose Center City hotel room was set afire in an apparent attempt to cover up the crime, police said.

Herman Burton, 22, of Southwest Philadelphia, was taken into custody Tuesday night near the intersection of 12th and Spruce Streets in Center City, police said.

Burton, of the 2400 Block of S. 63rd Street, is male but dresses and identifies as a woman, police said. Burton was dressed as a woman when arrested.

Police believe Burton strangled and robbed the victim, Patrick Michael Brady, 49, of Thorndale, last weekend in an eighth-floor room at the Omni Hotel at Fourth and Chestnut Streets.

Brady, who worked at Jefferson University Hospital, checked into the hotel Friday night. The fire was reported about 10:18 a.m. Saturday.

His body was found after firefighters arrived to put out the small blaze, which was contained to the room. Fire marshals later determined that the blaze was set.

Surveillance footage at the Omni showed Burton entering the hotel alone, said Philadephia Police Capt. James Clark. Burton was "let in" Brady's room, and there was no signs of forced entry, Clark said.

He would not say if Burton gave a statement to detectives, and he did not know how Burton and Brady came to know one another.

"The only thing we know is that for whatever reason, there was an extremely physical altercation," he said.

Clark said there were signs of blunt force trauma to Brady's ribs, face, and hands.

Burton was carrying the victim's cell phone, credit cards and ID when he was arrested, said Clark, the commander of the Homicide Unit. Burton used Brady's credit card to make several purchases, he said.

Court records show that Burton has numerous arrests, but few convictions and has served time for promoting prostitution. Burton is currently on probation for that charge, according to the the records.