Trial ordered for transgender man in murder, arson

A Southwest Philadelphia man who police say is a transgender prostitute was ordered Tuesday to stand trial on murder and arson charges in the Oct. 30 death of a man at the Omni Hotel in Old City.

Herman Burton, 23, was held for trial by Philadelphia Municipal Court Judge Joseph C. Waters after a homicide detective testified that Burton was seen entering the hotel on a surveillance camera about 2 a.m. Oct. 30 and leaving a short time before the fire alarm sounded.

Firefighters were called to the Omni shortly before 11 a.m. Inside Room 812 they found a blaze - purposely set - and the body of Patrick Michael Brady, 49, to whom the room was registered.

Authorities said Brady, of Chester County, was married and had a 9-year-old daughter. However, he periodically stayed at the Omni if his shift as an information-technology specialist at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital ran late.

Detective Brian Peters testified that the hotel surveillance video showed a person who appeared to be Burton entering the hotel several times with different men - but not Brady - on Oct. 30.

After the blaze, Peters testified, an unnamed caller directed police to an address on Camac Street. There they found a canvas bag containing women's clothing, Burton's application for a driver's license, and Brady's cell phone, driver's license, and debit card.

Peters said an ATM video showed Burton using Brady's debit card after the fire and that the card also had been used to order room service and pay for other charges to Brady's room.

Several weeks after the fire, police arrested another man, Richard Collins, 20, of Bridgeton, N.J., and charged him with going to the hotel, at Fourth and Chestnut Streets, at Burton's request to help cover up Brady's death.