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Archive for the ‘Colorado’ Category

Judge Denies Lesser Charge in Angie Zapata Murder Trial.

Saturday, September 20th, 2008

The Angie Zapata case is moving to trial. The judge refused the defense attorney’s plea to reduce the charges (yes, he actually tried that tired and deceptive gay panic defense). Good on the judge! This case screams hate crime from the rooftops.

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The defense was asking for a lessening of charges, specifically that the bias portion be dropped because this was a crime of passion and that Andrade’s reaction was provoked and caused understandable aggression.
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If anyone doubts that this is a hate crime, just listen to Andrade’s words and actions:

A man accused of beating a transgendered woman to death told his girlfriend in a phone call that he “snapped” and that “gay things need to die.”

The phone calls made by Allen Andrade, charged in the murder of the transgender woman Angie Zapata, while in jail to his girlfriend detailed that something bad had happened and that Andrade had made a mistake.

…The phone calls were also laden with derogatory remarks towards homosexuals, and he stated that people in jail are scared of him because of his reputation for wielding a fire extinguisher, which is the suspected murder weapon.

When Andrade’s girlfriend said her cell phone was dying during a call, he said that was gay and that gay things need to die.

How anybody could claim those actions were understandable and provoked is beyond me. No reasonable human being behaves like that. But then homophobes aren’t reasonable. And that’s what some people fail to grasp. Thankfully more people are finally beginning to grasp the truth, however.

There will come a day when nobody will consider it reasonable to batter another person to a pulp because they don’t approve of who they sleep with or what their gender presentation is. I don’t know if I’ll live to see that day–in fact I doubt it given the current climate. But I can always hope.

And Angie, rest in peace. It looks like Andrade is going to be put away for a very, very long time.

 

Colorado Man Charged With Murdering Transgender Woman

Friday, August 1st, 2008

Another day, another hate crime against a transgender woman. From The Advocate:

A Colorado man is accused of fatally battering a sex partner with a fire extinguisher after discovering that his companion was a transgender woman.

Allen Ray Andrade, 31, faces several charges, including second-degree murder, in the death of Justin Zapata, 20, who was known as Angie Zapata. The victim’s bloodied, battered body was discovered in her apartment by her sister on July 17.

Weld County district attorney Ken Buck said Wednesday that he is considering filing first-degree murder charges and may prosecute the death as a hate crime.
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Andrade told investigators that he met Zapata through MocoSpace, a social network designed primarily for cell phone users, according to an arrest affidavit released by Greeley police. The two met July 15 and spent the day together.
Andrade told investigators that Zapata performed oral sex on him but wouldn’t let him touch her, according to the affidavit.

He said he also spent the night at Zapata’s apartment, but in separate beds. The next day, Zapata left Andrade alone in her apartment, and Andrade noticed several photographs that led him to question Zapata’s gender.

Andrade confronted Zapata when she got back. He grabbed Zapata’s crotch area, felt male genitalia and became angry, the affidavit says. He told investigators that he took a fire extinguisher off a shelf, struck Zapata twice in the head, and thought he ”killed it.”
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Andrade told investigators he covered Zapata with a blanket and started gathering evidence he thought might link him to the crime when he heard gurgling sounds and noticed Zapata was sitting up. That’s when he picked up the fire extinguisher and hit her again, police said. He left the scene in her car.
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Standard way to dehumanize any transgender person. Call him or her “it”. How any of the bigots still fail to see why we’re so disgusted with them? Are they that obtuse? More likely they just don’t care. Such is the depth of their hatred.

May Allen Ray Andrade rot in prison for the rest of his life assuming he’s found guilty, which it sounds like he is.