Tag Archives: murder

Hakim Scott and Keith Phoenix were both sentenced to 37 years in prison today for the anti-gay and anti-Hispanic murder of Ecuadorean immigrant Jose Sucuzhanay, who was viciously beaten to death with an aluminum baseball bat last year because the two killers mistakenly thought Sucuzhanay and his brother were gay. The two victims were drunkenly walking home with their arms …

Eight people were shot and killed this morning at a Manchester, Connecticut wholesale alcohol distributor, where a truck driver for the company opened fire on an office full of workers. The gunman is dead, but reports conflict over whether he was shot by police or took his own life. Sources said Omar S. Thornton, 34, was a driver for Hartford …

A New York man is under arrest and charged with beating a 17-month old toddler to death because, in the killer’s own words, “I was trying to make him act like a boy instead of a little girl.” The suspect has been identified as Pedro Jones, 20, of South Hampton. He has been charged with first-degree manslaughter after allegedly hitting …

New Jersey Attorney General Paula Dow has turned down requests that her office launch an independent investigation into the killing of DeFerra Gaymon, who was shot in a Newark-area park by an undercover detective who now claims Gaymon made a sexual advance on him. Gayman was a Georgia business executive who was in town for his 30th high school reunion. …

Last Friday night, Georgia executive Dean Gaymon was shot and killed by undercover detectives in a Newark area park known for public cruising. Police claim Gaymon “made a sexual move” towards a detective, which as we all know is a death penalty crime. According to the officer, he made an arrest in an unrelated case when he realized he has …

Seventeen people were murdered at a gay party in the northern Mexico city of Torreon yesterday. The party was advertised on Facebook, where it was noted that while the event was being organized by a gay group, all were welcome. Police say gunmen burst into the room and wordlessly opened fire after blocking the exits. Investigators have not ruled out …

Jason Andrews, also known as Sean Cody performer “Addison” and as popular Chicago nightlife figure DJ Veritas, has been charged with murdering a Florida man hired for sex by Andrews’ female porn star lover and alleged accomplice. Andrews was first arrested for the crime in May, but at the time detectives found the evidence inconclusive. Jason Andrews was a bisexual …

The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs today issued their annual report on the reported violent crimes against LGBT people in 2009. The news isn’t great. Anti-LGBTQ hate violence continues to be a pervasive social problem at the same time as vital resources and support for hate violence survivors are at risk amidst economic crisis. This year, 22 victims of hate …

The severed head of LGBT activist Pasikali Kashusbe has been found in a Uganda latrine. Via Box Turtle Bulletin: Judith Nabakooba, a police spokesperson, identified the head as that of Pasikali Kashusbe, one of the workers on Kigggundu’s farm and a member of Integrity Uganda. Pasikali and his partner Abbey are youth workers with Integrity Uganda charged with the responsibility …

San Francisco police have cleared the man they had in custody after a fatal shooting at the annual Pink Saturday pride party in the Castro. Authorities say the .357 revolver found on 20-year-old Ed Perkins was not the weapon used to kill 19-year-old Stephen Powell in San Francisco’s Castro district late Saturday. Witnesses did not place Perkins at the scene …

Justice was at last served yesterday in the hate crime murder retrial of Keith Phoenix (left), who in 2008 beat Ecuadorean immigrant Jose Sucuzhanay to death with a metal baseball bat as he screamed anti-gay and anti-Hispanic epithets. Last month a mistrial was declared when jurors could not agree on convicting Phoenix of murder or manslaughter. The second trial’s jury …

Last August a masked gunman walked into a Tel Aviv LGBT youth center and began firing, killing two and injuring many others. Israeli police launched a national manhunt, vigils and protests were held worldwide, but until now there’s been no break in the case. Reports emerged Monday of a new discovery in the as yet unsolved case of a murderous …

It appears that Puerto Rico has seen its third transgender woman murdered in about six months. Andres Duque at Blabbeando translates for us: Almost a month after the grisly murder of Ashley, a transsexual hairdresser from Corozal, the country relives the tragedy with the death of Angie González Oquendo, who was tortured and murdered by someone whom the victim’s father …

Unbelievable. Hakim Scott, on trial for the brutal 2008 murder of Ecuadorean immigrant Jose Sucuzhanay, has been convicted of manslaughter only. The jury dismissed the hate crimes charge, despite overwhelming evidence that Scott and his accomplice screamed anti-gay and anti-Hispanic epithets as they beat Sucuzhanay to death with a metal baseball bat. The second jury is still deliberating the case …

Three Washington DC teenagers have been charged in the murder of popular and openly gay high school principal Brian Betts. According to police, Betts was set up for an attack after speaking to one or more of the suspects on a phone sex chat line. Sharif Tau Lancaster and Alante Saunders, both 18, were charged with murder, robbery and a …

UPDATE: Police are saying that despite earlier reports, Grindr was NOT the service used by the killer to meet his victim. Via press release: From the Phoenix Police Dept Press Office: Hello all. Our detectives have learned through this continuing investigation that it was not the “Grinder” IPHONE application that was used by the victim to make contact with the …

A Lakeland, Florida man has been arrested for murdering his daughter’s girlfriend. Friends of the victim say he was angry at her for “leading” his daughter into a lesbian relationship. Jerry Lee Seger, an enraged father who allegedly blamed 24-year-old Courtney Bright for leading his daughter down what he felt was the wrong path – including a three-year lesbian affair …

In December 2008, Ecuadorian immigrant Jose Sucuzhanay (left) was brutally beaten to death with a baseball bat by two men who mistakenly thought that Sucuzhanay and his brother were gay lovers. The case gained international attention and brought together LGBT and immigrant right groups for massive protests at the scene of the murder in Brooklyn. The two murderers are now …

Puerto Rican police report that transwoman Ashley Santiago was founded stabbed to death in her home yesterday. This is the second high-profile murder of an LGBT person in Puerto Rico in recent months. Michael Lavers at EDGE reports: Primera Hora reported authorities discovered Ashley Santiago’s naked body in the kitchen of her house in Corozal, which is roughly 25 miles …

Consumerist reports that KFC’s mythical Double Down is no longer mythical. For those coming late to the story, it’s bacon and cheese sandwiched between two pieces of fried chicken. And now, many months later, I’ll finally be able to get my hands on one. KFC announced the decision to go live with the Double Down yesterday, but we weren’t sure …