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Loading ...Hate Crime Murder Indictment In Slaying
04.06.2009 2:30pm EDT
(Syracuse, New York) A grand jury has indicted a Syracuse man on charges of murder as a hate crime in the killing of Latiesha Green, 20, last November on a city street.
Green, who was still legally known by her birth name, Moses Cannon, was in the process of transitioning.The indictment names Dwight R. DeLee, 20. In addition to the murder and hate crime charges DeLee is charged with second-degree murder and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
Green and her brother, Mark Cannon, 18, had been invited to a party November 14, and were about to get out of Mark’s car when guests at the party gathered near the car and began yelling homophobic epithets at them.
DeLee is alleged to have gone into the residence and returned with a 22 caliber rifle. Police said he then put the rifle to the driver’s side window of that vehicle and fired one round.
The bullet passed through Cannon’s arm and struck Green in the chest.
Despite being shot, Cannon was able to drive the car to the family’s home as his sister lay bleeding heavily in the front passenger seat. She died a short while later.
Last year, a study found attacks on members of the LGBT community nationwide grew by 24 percent in 2007 over the previous year.
The 78-page report was prepared by the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs with input from more than 30 of its members across the U.S.
While a number of states include LGBT people in hate crime laws federal hate crime law does not include LGBT people.
The Matthew Shepard Hate Crime Act, named for the 21-year-old college student who was murdered in an anti-gay hate crime in Wyoming in October 1998, died in the last Congress and was reintroduced this month.
If convicted of murder, DeLee would face a minimum penalty of 20 years in prison. Second-degree murder carries a minimum penalty of 15 years. The hate crime enhancement could expand either to life.
fair play to that Delee dude , one less vile cocksucker in the world
And see if his pastor ranted and raved against homosexuals.
The relgious right is up in arms about how, in canada, hate speech can get you tossed in jail.
too bad Germany and Austria didn’t have a hate speech law and enforce it. Maybe 50 million people wouldn’t have died.
THAT is what he deserve. A butcher is a butcher no matter what kind of animal it kills. A killer is a killer whether he did it to be evil or felt it was god’s will.
Like Jessi said…”fry the phobe”
TAKE HIS LIFE LIKE HE TOOK HER’S!
I agree with Marlaina that 20 years is not nearly long enough, if imprisonment is the only punishment option.
what a tragic ending to a life that had already had it’s share of trials and tribulations. My thoughts and prayers go out to Ms. Green’s family. 15-20 years doesn’t seem like a very harsh penalty for such a brutal crime!
Some friends.Why didn’t anyone clue in Latiesha that the party might be dangerous for her considering the extremely homophopic quests.What ignorant hateful creatures.Reminds me of a Jamaican swarming.
DeLee may not have intended murder, but if you aim a gun at somebody, you’re taking on that responsibility. There was no argument or any static with Green or Cannon; DeLee simply decided to go get a gun and shoot Green. Take somebody’s life over nothing–and too stupid to even stop and consider that he’d be throwing his own life away. Hell, if he’s that casual about the value of his own life, then maybe we’ll all get lucky and he’ll get shanked. Be especially nice if it nicked the bowel and he lingered with peritonitis…sorry, that’s my medieval side coming out…
it’s just time and time again.. it makes me sick. i’m so tired of reading horrible news like this. what is wrong with america? EVERYONE claims we’re so damn free, where is our freedom? if someone would like to show me..
that’d be great.
my prayers goes out to the cannon family in belief that we as a people will over come any obsticle in our path the time for change has arrived and we must fight for stronger laws to protect the right of our people in this day and age senseless violence like this is unacceptable
This is just so sad. It just shows that you never really know the state of mind people are in and you have to be on guard for anything. I just don’t understand…
Yet again, really, is it me, or does other LGBT people reading these articles see the “common thread”?
If I read an article that had nothing to do with a RELIGIOUS LUNATICS then I would be more positive towards them.
I have to go do my YOGA to find my inner peace, because these people are killing me with all their unbelievable hate!
RELIGION is the the ROOT cause…
I am glad to be member of Freedom from Religion Foundation (www.ffrf.com) I will continue to help Humans that want help but I will also “hate” (i really don’t literally, they can’t have that much control) back the Haters…
Yet another victim of a religious war. Maybe we should just negotiate and see how many they want to kill before they will leave us in peace.
fry the phobe