Trial Begins in Slaying of Transgender Woman

[Floyd R]

Trial Begins in Slaying of Transgender Woman

Story Highlights
Prosecutors charge man with murder in slaying of transgender woman, age 18
Suspect and victim had met online before seeing each other in person
"Hate crime" case has been closely watched by transgender-rights groups
If convicted, defendant could be sentence to life in prison with no parole

By Jim Spellman
CNN

GREELEY, Colorado (CNN) -- It started as a tryst, arranged online, in a quiet town in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains. She was an 18-year-old transgender woman. He was a 32-year-old rough-and-tumble gang member.

It ended in homicide.

Opening statments behgan Thursday in the trial of Allen Andrade, accused of murdering Justin "Angie" Zapata, .

Andrade also has been charged with a bias-motivated crime.

Zapata was 18 years old in the summer of 2008 when prosecutors say she met Andrade, then 32, on the popular online networking site MocoSpace.

According to a police affidavit, the two arranged to meet and Zapata brought Andrade to her apartment in Greeley, Colorado, where they spent two days together. During that time, according to the affidavit, Andrade says Zapata performed oral sex on him. When Zapata was out of the apartment, Andrade noticed photographs of Zapata that made him "question victim Zapata's sex."

When Zapata returned, Andrade confronted her. Zapata declared, "I am all woman." Andrade then grabbed Zapata's crotch and discovered a penis.

What happened next is gruesome.

According to the affidavit, Andrade told police he began hitting Zapata with his fists, knocking her to the ground. He then grabbed a fire extinguisher and hit her in the head two times.

He told police he thought he had "killed it," referring to Zapata, and covered her with a blanket. He then set about trying to clean up the crime scene. While doing this, he heard "gurgling" sounds coming from the victim and saw Zapata sitting up. He hit her again with the fire extinguisher.

This time Zapata was dead.

Andrade took Zapata's car and fled. Two weeks later, police discovered the car and arrested Andrade.

Calls to Andrade's public defender for comment have not been returned.

The case has become a rallying point for supporters of the transgender community who have held vigils and launched Web sites in remembrance of Zapata. They are calling for the inclusion of transgender people in hate-crime statues across the country and at the federal level. Currently 11 states and the District of Columbia recognize transgender people in their anti-hate crime laws.

Mindy Barton, legal director for the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center of Colorado, says this has the makings of a landmark case.

"We believe this is the first case of any hate crime law being applied in an anti-transgender murder case," Barton says. "A vicious attack such as this, with the evidence of overkill and excessive brutality, leaves the whole transgender community feeling afraid to live their daily lives."

If convicted of first-degree murder, Andrade will face a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. The charge of a bias-motivated crime carries only a one- to three-year sentence, but Barton says the length of sentence isn't important.

"It is not the sentence which is important, but the fact that victims, perpetrators and law enforcement officials recognize that such bigotry and hatred will not be tolerated," she says. "That is the important message when there is a charge and a conviction under a hate-crime law."

Court officials in Greeley are preparing for possible protests outside the courthouse. The trial is expected to last about two weeks.

copied from http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/04/16/...l?iref=topnews

[saifan]

Heart breaking story.
This case is a good argument for full disclosure to guys though.

[kittyKaiti]

Although it is completely uncalled for to assault and or murder a transsexual because of this, you are a complete IDIOT to think you can go around and pull that type of crap with men or anyone for that matter. You may be a woman in your mind but as long as you have a dick, you are a man and cannot mess around with people. This girl could have avoided this by telling the guy she was a man before even meeting with him. It's stupid crap like this that makes transsexuals look bad.

[Alyssa87]

I'm almost in tears : (
I dont think you have to disclose the t to someone off the bat, but a weekend shack-up situation wasnt so smart.

18? Poor baby.


miss.kitty- those are harsh words.
"It's stupid crap like this that makes transsexuals look bad."

Sweetie, that wig and bad makeup you're sporting makes transsexuals look bad

"You may be a woman in your mind but as long as you have a dick, you are a man "

...well SIR- you are entitled to your own opinion.
but you should speak for yourself.
Rephrase those you's to I's : )



I hope they put him away for life

[kittyKaiti]

I'm almost in tears : (
I dont think you have to disclose the t to someone off the bat, but a weekend shack-up situation wasnt so smart.

18? Poor baby.


miss.kitty- those are harsh words.
"It's stupid crap like this that makes transsexuals look bad."

Sweetie, that wig and bad makeup you're sporting makes transsexuals look bad

"You may be a woman in your mind but as long as you have a dick, you are a man "

...well SIR- you are entitled to your own opinion.
but you should speak for yourself.
Rephrase those you's to I's : )



I hope they put him away for life

The truth hurts doesn't it? You can NOT go around and claim to be a woman without warning people. You are going to get hurt or killed. Your childish comments are pathetic, btw.

[Alyssa87]

I'm almost in tears : (
I dont think you have to disclose the t to someone off the bat, but a weekend shack-up situation wasnt so smart.

18? Poor baby.


miss.kitty- those are harsh words.
"It's stupid crap like this that makes transsexuals look bad."

Sweetie, that wig and bad makeup you're sporting makes transsexuals look bad

"You may be a woman in your mind but as long as you have a dick, you are a man "

...well SIR- you are entitled to your own opinion.
but you should speak for yourself.
Rephrase those you's to I's : )



I hope they put him away for life

The truth hurts doesn't it? You can NOT go around and claim to be a woman without warning people. You are going to get hurt or killed. Your childish comments are pathetic, btw.

Well thats YOUR truth Kitty. not THE truth.
i want to encourage you to speak for yourself, and refrain from blanket statments.

Many PASSABLE girls do not feel the need to tell everyone.
I see nothing wrong with keeping my T from a man when i meet him, or even as i first get to know him.
As long as sex hasnt come into play yet, my sex organs dont have to be up for conversation.

Granted, when i do tell them, i'm usually rejected. and i can respect that.
But i've never been threatened or hit

my childish comment about your bad wig and makeup was just a friendly jab.
the one about you referring to yourself as a man.. well thats on you.

[kittyKaiti]

I refer to myself as a woman but I am intelligent enough to make sure to warn people of what I am because I don't feel like being assaulted.

[Alyssa87]

I refer to myself as a woman but I am intelligent enough to make sure to warn people of what I am because I don't feel like being assaulted.

(you replied before i added this...)

If you refer to yourself as a woman, you should re-write your comment about you being a man as long as you have a dick.

intelligent enough to warn people?
Kitty listen...
Granted, when i do tell a man my T, i'm usually rejected. and i can respect that.
But i've never been threatened or assaulted

[SarahG]

Heart breaking story.
This case is a good argument for full disclosure to guys though.

It's an even stronger argument for taking guys like that, locking them up and throwing away the keys.

Anything less than that is complete bullshit, no one should be able to beat someone to death in this manner, and then take off with the victim's car, and expect to be let off easy.

This guy had no credibility even before he beat her to death. For all we know claiming she "tricked" him is just a ploy to get off using gay panic defense. And since she's dead, we really have no idea if he knew she was trans, how he knew it, or when he knew it.

Someone give me a good reason why we should believe this ex-con?*


*And simply saying "well, other tgirls have tricked guys" doesn't cut it.

[Alyssa87]

Heart breaking story.
This case is a good argument for full disclosure to guys though.

It's an even stronger argument for taking guys like that, locking them up and throwing away the keys.

Anything less than that is complete bullshit, no one should be able to beat someone to death in this manner, and then take off with the victim's car, and expect to be let off easy.

This guy had no credibility even before he beat her to death. For all we know claiming she "tricked" him is just a ploy to get off using gay panic defense. And since she's dead, we really have no idea if he knew she was trans, how he knew it, or when he knew it.

+1