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Loading ...Syracuse murder victim now identified as transgendered
11.18.2008 5:10pm EST
(Syracuse, New York) The weekend victim of a brazen murder in Syracuse, N.Y., was transgendered, family and friends now tell area media outlets.
Police originally had identified the victim as Moses Cannon, 20, and gay. Family members, however, now say Cannon went by the name Latiesha Green and was in the process of transitioning.Latiesha and her brother, Mark Cannon, 18, had been invited to a party 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.
Syracuse Police Chief Gary Miguel said that one of the guests, Dwight DeLee, went into the residence and returned with a 22-caliber rifle.
Miguel said DeLee then put the rifle to the driver’s side window of that vehicle and fired one round.
The bullet passed through Mark’s arm and struck Latiesha in the chest.
Despite being shot, Mark 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.
DeLee appeared in court Monday where he was arraigned on a charge of second degree murder. No bail was set and DeLee remains in custody.
Miguel said that the shooting was the result of DeLee’s dislike for LGBT people but the Onondaga County District Attorney’s office says it may be difficult to prove.
If a hate crime charge is added to the second degree murder charge DeLee already faces, and he is convicted, he would receive a longer prison sentence.
Police say DeLee has a history of weapons and drug charges.
Monday night, about 70 people attended a candlelight vigil for Latiesha. Mourners wrote their names and brief messages on a memorial mural.
In May, 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, languishes in Congress.
So [freaking] what? Does that make the death any less horrible or the murderer and less pathetic? NO! Jail for life or the death penalty - NOTHING LESS!
Chris,
Could you please watch your language. Thanks.
Sincerely,
James
i agree Chris so &*&*& what and why wasn’t the charge first degree murder there should be no lesser charge as this it was the worst kind of hate crime murder-
This is so horrible. I sincerely hope the murderer dies, some way, somehow. Soon.
The charge of first degree murder is reserved for cases where the defendant planned the crime and committed it with malice aforethought. Second degree murder is when the defendant caused the death, or failed to take appropriate action to prevent the death, on the spur of the moment.
It’s sad. Transgendered people are the most hated group of all. The religious right inflames anti-gay animosity and this is often the result.
I do not endorse proactive violence, however, one does have to wonder whether the instances of this type of malevolence would dissipate should there be more immediate retaliation instituted by our greater community. Perhaps we should follow the religious concept of “…an eye for an eye…” to push back more aggressively on this type of hate crime? Or would that exacerbate the negative impression of our community…we’re “…damned if we do, and damned if we don’t…”.
Jonathan Said: “Perhaps we should follow the religious concept of “…an eye for an eye…” to push back more aggressively on this type of hate crime? Or would that exacerbate the negative impression of our community…”
The first thing we need to understand is that these religious freaks want to kill us. In their minds they are doing “God’s work” and it is a good thing from their perspective. They do not see it as murder, but rather aa a mandate to cleanse the world of sinners. The best thing we can do is arm ourselves and learn how to use weapons, take some form of martial arts or other self-defense classes so that we have a fighting chance. If you kill someone in self-defense or defending someone else, its not murder. Just make sure you kill them so they wont give a conflicting story to the authorities. Be aware of your environment at all times. Also doesn’t hurt to travel in groups and forget giving or taking rides from some stranger at a bar.
If you are suggesting a pre-emptive strike, you should understand you will die yourself, whether shot by the police or in prison. You will become a martyr, so if you are going to do that, you might as well make as big a splash as you can. Who knows, if you wipe enough of them out, they may just find you insane.
Either way, it is well past the time to sit back and do nothing while our brothers & sisters pay for our passivity with their lives. You are correct in assuming if the haters have something to fear, they will think twice.
Too bad there will be no death penalty for 2nd degree murder, even if it is charged as a hate crime, which it obviously should be.
P.S. As far as negative impressions go, they are killing us. That should tell you what they think of us. Do we really care what other groups and individuals think of us? When they start doing the dying because of hate, then I will care about their opinion.
Either way, DeLee needs to be put away for a L-O-N-G time. If he did what he’s accused of, put him under the jail!
He can live out the rest of his years servicing the men in the big house!
This person obviously intended to do what he did so I think he should be charged with murder of the first degree and hate crime
Oh for chrissakes James - get a grip - is this “Romper Room”? I have a proposal, when you start writing interesting columns, I’ll “watch my languauge”. “Language” used for emphatic emphasis is not only “real life” but adequately expresses the point of view of the writer. Sometimes you don’t have a “gosh-darn” lousy day - you have a bad [FREAKING] day!
I suppose no one should be shocked that (reported) hate crimes are up 24% in the last year. In states all over the country the conservative right and their partners have been actively lobbying to make LGBT folks the scary “other”. While this hateful person should be locked away for life, I’m afraid this won’t affect the culture of hate. The only thing that will change that is an end to fearmongering. I sincerely hope Mr. Obama follows through on his pledges and expands LGBT rights.
Chris,
Thanks for your time.
Sincerely,
James
“Language guidelines”? Censorship is more like it.