Man gets 49 years for anti-transgender hate crime killing

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

By JEFF AMY
1 hour ago

GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) — A Mississippi man received a 49-year prison sentence Monday for the first-ever conviction on federal hate crime charges arising from the killing of a transgender woman.

In a case watched by the LGBT community nationwide, U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola Jr. sentenced Joshua Vallum in the 2015 killing of 17-year-old Mercedes Williamson. It was the first case prosecuted under the federal Hate Crimes Prevention Act involving a victim targeted because of gender identity.

Prosecutors said Vallum shocked 17-year-old Mercedes Williamson with a stun gun, stabbed her and beat her to death in 2015 to keep fellow Latin Kings gang members from discovering the two were having sex. Gang rules barred homosexual activity and declared it punishable by death.

Guirola could have sentenced Vallum to life in prison, but heeded a lesser sentence suggested in a plea agreement between defense attorneys and prosecutors, citing Vallum’s neglected childhood and other issues. Both the judge and defense lawyers said Vallum’s history of abuse as a child had to be considered.

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Read more: https://apnews.com/a0dd02d4d45e4c0491ad06100e61f641/Man-gets-49-years-for-anti-transgender-hate-crime-killing

[retrowire]

1. Good.

"I was having sex with a transgender person?"

"Hmmm, do I self reflect and admit to myself that I had no problem with it or do I take it out on them?"

"MY MASCULINE IMAGEEEEEEE GRRRRRRR"

[DK504]

2. This crime was committed by the Latin Kings.

They are a HARD CORE drug cartel, in Mississippi. So where is Border Control and ICE? Why aren't they arresting these maniacs and shipping them off? Oh yeah, they'd rather go after 8 years olds at school.

How many laws has this fucker broken so far? Where are the impeachment charges?

[Shandris]

3. Good.

And no, his 'history of abuse as a child' did not, in fact, need to be considered. Not when your crime is beating your paramour to death because you were afraid of what some other 'man' might think.

'Gay panic'. Can I use 'nazi panic', 'bigot panic', or 'douchebag panic'? No? Then f*** right off.

Yah, I mad. Grr.

EDIT: Wording change as I realized I may have assumed a bit far.

[irisblue]

4. For Mercedes

[Starry Messenger]

5. k&r

[Behind the Aegis]

6. Good!

May he rot!

Mercedes

[orleans]

7. i'm glad he was sentenced to at least 49 years

but i don't think his sad childhood should have been a consideration as to why he wasn't given life without parole

[FLPanhandle]

8. Why would a neglected childhood be a consideration in any crime?

Especially a violent crime.

[Glorfindel]

9. A candle for Mercedes

I wish I could believe that nothing like this will ever happen again.