Beware - Man Gets 11 Years...

[Robby (imported)]

Man Gets 11 Years in Transgender Death (http://www.comcast.net/news/national/in ... ransgender)

By Associated Press

HAYWARD, Calif. - A 23-year-old man who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the killing of a transgender teen was sentenced to 11 years in prison on Friday.

Jaron Nabors, of Newark, Calif., pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter early in the case. He admitted to aiding and abetting Gwen Araujo's murder and showed authorities where the teen's body was buried.

"There's nothing that can be done that will take away from the immense pain of the family of the victim, but Jaron did the best he could after he had participated in this horrible event," Nabors' attorney Annie Beles said after the hearing.

Araujo, 17, was beaten, tied up and strangled on Oct. 4, 2002, after men she had sexual encounters with learned she was biologically male, according to authorities.

Araujo was born a boy named Edward but grew up to believe her true identity was female.

Two men were sentenced to 15 years to life in prison after being convicted of second-degree murder in the slaying. A fourth man pleaded no contest to manslaughter and was sentenced to six years in prison.

[EricaAnn (imported)]

Couldn't they have given him a longer sentence? What they did to that poor girl shouldn't have been done to a dog let along another human being!

A little acceptance can go a long, long way.

[Taylor (imported)]

:realpisse

I've followed the case for years. I can't tell you how goddamn furious it makes me that these murderers got off with such light sentences.

The first case ended in a hung jury.

All of these murdering scum used the "gay panic" defense and claimed that they had all had sexual relations (oral and anal copulation) with her and when they found out she was a biologic male they felt it reflected on their masculinity. What a bunch of goddamn bullshit! I'll put up a dollar against a donut that they all knew.

They tortured and murdered a beautiful human being! May they rot in Hell!

[JesusA (imported)]

My reaction is not nearly so mild as Taylor's. It's taken far too long, and they've gotten off far too lightly.

[BossTamsin (imported)]

:realpisse

I've followed the case for years. I can't tell you how goddamn furious it makes me that these murderers got off with such light sentences.

The first case ended in a hung jury.

All of these murdering scum used the "gay panic" defense and claimed that they had all had sexual relations (oral and anal copulation) with her and when they found out she was a biologic male they felt it reflected on their masculinity. What a bunch of goddamn bullshit! I'll put up a dollar against a donut that they all knew.

They tortured and murdered a beautiful human being! May they rot in Hell!

Just think though, the thought of having had sex with someone who was (in their eyes) another guy scared them so much that they just had to beat this unfortunate person to death. They just couldn't handle it, saw it as a threat to their masculinity. And now they are going to prison, where they're gonna wind up somebody's bitch for the next few years.

It may not be for as long as it should be, but ain't irony grand?

[ssindysmith2002 (imported)]

My number one rule before doing anything sexual is always, always telll the truth. I have only had one guy kinda freeq out a little but he was cool with me I had do the I'll show you mine routine, not having a dick or balls has its advantages in that area.

[thefraj (imported)]

I'm furious about the outcome too. I don't know Californian law or what the usual sentence is for manslaughter or murder. But what is very important, is that this case is not treated any differently from any other murder case because of the transgendered issue.

To give a shorter sentence because of the nature of the murder, is to portion out some of the blame onto Gwen, where I believe it absolutely does not belong.

Even if we suppose Jaron was led on without knowledge of her birth gender, still should not be reflected in the sentence. Because, if it is, we are re-enforcing this (misplaced!) homophobia and sympathizing with a murderer.

On a personal level I can probably imagine how this young man might feel cheated or mislead (if indeed, he was!). But it is ludicrous to suggest it helps justify murder of someone who posed no threat to him.

I can't imagine what that Gwens family must have gone/be going through.

[A-1 (imported)]

I wonder if there is any chance getting the FBI to look at this as a hate crime?

A-1

[kristoff]

I wonder if there is any chance getting the FBI to look at this as a hate crime?

A-1

prolly not a chance

[SplitDik (imported)]

This really is a bad crime, but isn't 15 years pretty standard sentence for second-degree murder and 11 for manslaughter? (Assuming it wasn't planned and really was spurred due to their emotions at the time.)

I agree with A-1 though that it could be pursued as a hate crime.