tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31271739108382127592024-03-12T15:58:42.104-07:00In Memoriam: Lesbian Murder VictimsLesbians are very often undercounted as murder victims--both within the LGBT community and by those who monitor violence against women. This is a beginning effort to honor the names of the lesbians that have been lost. Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger57125truetag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3127173910838212759.post-66326575643354989712019-06-26T18:25:00.001-07:002019-06-26T18:29:10.633-07:00Susana Sanhueza (2017)Susana Sanhueza was murdered in March 2017 in the Fifth Region of Chile. <br />
<br />
According to a <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-48719453">recent BBC article</a>, this region has become a place where "butch lesbians live in fear." Other camionas that have been killed there include Nicole Saavedra Bahamondes (2016) and María Pía Castro (2008).<br />
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From the BBC:<br />
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Then, a year after Nicole's killing - on 7 March 2017 - the body of a third young camiona was found in the Fifth region. The news terrified women already on edge, confirming the region as a danger zone for young lesbians. But this murder was different.<br />
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Twenty-three-year-old Susana Sanhueza was found in a rubbish bag inside the town hall in San Felipe, where the animal rights group she worked for rented office space.<br />
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She had been dead a week.<br />
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WhatsApp messages read out in court reveal that she had been meeting a friend, fellow activist Cristian Muñoz, who later told police that he witnessed Susana having a seizure in the office and put her body in the rubbish bag, believing she was dead. He denies murder and his family say he has been admitted to a psychiatric ward while awaiting trail.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Susana Sanhueza" class="responsive-image__img js-image-replace" data-highest-encountered-width="624" datasrc="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/13EA/production/_107489050_susana_sanhueza976976.jpg" height="400" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/13EA/production/_107489050_susana_sanhueza976976.jpg" style="border: 0px; color: #bdbdbd; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: auto; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; transition: opacity 0.2s ease-in 0s; user-select: none; vertical-align: baseline; width: 616.203px;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Susana Sanhueza</td></tr>
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<figure class="media-landscape has-caption full-width" style="background-color: #111111; border: 0px; clear: both; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 24px -24.6406px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="image-and-copyright-container" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><figcaption class="media-caption" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: visible;"><span class="off-screen" style="border: 0px; clip: rect(1px , 1px , 1px , 1px); color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 1px; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; vertical-align: baseline; width: 1px;">Image caption</span><span class="media-caption__text" style="border: 0px; color: #ececec; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.8125rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.23077; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Susana Sanhueza</span></figcaption></figure><figure class="media-landscape no-caption full-width" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; clear: both; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 24px -24.6406px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="image-and-copyright-container" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="Presentational white space" class="responsive-image__img js-image-replace" data-highest-encountered-width="624" datasrc="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/17B75/production/_105914179_blank_white_space-nc.png" height="1" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/17B75/production/_105914179_blank_white_space-nc.png" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: auto; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; transition: opacity 0.2s ease-in 0s; user-select: none; vertical-align: baseline; width: 616.203px;" width="624" /></span></figure>Susana's family believe that she was killed because Cristian was in love with her and was frustrated that he couldn't have a relationship with her. Some argue that Susana's death was not a result of homophobic prejudice, but Karen Vergara disagrees.<br />
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"We, the lesbian community in the region, still count Susana's death as lesbophobia," she says. "Whether it was a murder or Susana did suffer from a seizure, Cristian was pursuing a woman who had told him that she would always be unavailable to him. His lack of acceptance that she was a lesbian, and then not alerting the police, speaks to a hatred of gay women. That is misogyny and homophobia combined. It's lesbophobia."<br />
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Susana's death caused a number of WhatsApp groups to spring up in the Fifth region, for lesbians to warn each other of potential dangers, or of verbal and physical attacks. Admins of three groups told the BBC that there are at least three or four alerts a week.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3127173910838212759.post-20949392165605928382019-06-26T18:14:00.001-07:002019-06-26T18:43:09.303-07:00 María Pía Castro (2008)María Pía Castro was murdered in February 2008 in the Fifth Region of Chile. <br />
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According to a <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-48719453">recent BBC article</a>, this region has become a place where "butch lesbians live in fear." Other camionas that have been killed there include Nicole Saavedra Bahamondes (2016) and Nicole Saavedra Bahamondes (2017). <br />
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From the BBC: <br />
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It's not clear whether Nicole knew about the fire at Divine, but she knew about the murder of María Pía Castro. Nicole had a few things in common with María. Both were young women from the Fifth region. They were from single-parent, working-class households. They were camionas.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="María Pía Castro" class="responsive-image__img js-image-replace" data-highest-encountered-width="624" datasrc="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/58AA/production/_107489622_mariapiacastro976650.jpg" height="266" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/58AA/production/_107489622_mariapiacastro976650.jpg" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: auto; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; transition: opacity 0.2s ease-in 0s; user-select: none; vertical-align: baseline; width: 616.203px;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> María Pía Castro</td></tr>
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The death of the 19-year-old footballer from the small town of Olmué sent shockwaves through Chile's lesbian community in 2008. She had faced abuse from local boys - she had been hit, yelled at, spat on - but hadn't stopped her from dressing the way she did, or telling her friends that she was a lesbian.<br />
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"But telling friends about your private life in a small community has consequences," says Karen Vergara. "It doesn't stay a private conversation."<br />
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On 13 February 2008, she was found dead, her body so badly burnt that she could only be identified through DNA tests. A post-mortem examination showed that she had also experienced a severe blow to the back of her head. Her body had been dumped on a hill, just miles away from where Nicole's would be found eight years later.<br />
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The case was closed in 2017, as no suspects had been identified.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3127173910838212759.post-21822294186457251542019-06-10T20:07:00.001-07:002019-06-10T20:07:47.741-07:00Rosa Avina (2007)Rosa Avina was murdered in October 2007 in Merced County, California, USA in October 2007.<br />
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From the <a href="https://avp.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/2007_NCAVP_HV_Report.pdf">2007 National HV Report</a>:<br />
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Rosa Avina, a 27 year old Latina Lesbian
was murdered in Ballico, California (Merced County) on October 25, 2007. The
murder began when the suspects invaded her home and kidnapped her. Once
abducted, the attackers bound her hands and feet and placed a bag over her head.
She was placed in an abandoned boat located near a burn pile and set on fire. Rosa
broke free from her restraints and walked half a mile with second and third degree
burns over 95 percent of her body. She then collapsed at a farm where she was discovered by workers. Her burns were so severe, that deputies could not tell what
gender she was. She died two days later from her injuries. Police were not citing
the murder as a hate crime despite the fact that her sexual orientation was known to
the offenders. Investigators believe the men conspired to kill Avina after she failed
to pay them for about $750 worth of drugs. The extreme violence and over kill
would be consistent with anti-LGBT bias.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3127173910838212759.post-19046554639339663982019-05-01T18:07:00.002-07:002019-05-01T18:07:54.587-07:00Amanda Kern (2016)Amanda Kern was murdered in murdered in May 2016 in Springfield, Illinois, USA.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a class="irc_mil i3597" data-noload="" data-ved="2ahUKEwi93YHx0_vhAhWxd98KHSbYDSIQjRx6BAgBEAU" href="https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/amanda-kern-obituary?pid=179958028" jsaction="mousedown:irc.rl;focus:irc.rl" rel="noopener" style="background-color: #222222; border: 0px; color: #660099; cursor: pointer; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;" tabindex="0" target="_blank"><img alt="Image result for "Amanda Kern"" class="irc_mi" data-iml="1556759183184" height="356" src="https://cache.legacy.net/legacy/images/cobrands/tributes/photos/6344318_o_1.jpg" style="background-color: white; background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(45deg, rgb(239, 239, 239) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 75%, rgb(239, 239, 239) 75%, rgb(239, 239, 239)), -webkit-linear-gradient(45deg, rgb(239, 239, 239) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 75%, rgb(239, 239, 239) 75%, rgb(239, 239, 239)); background-position: 0px 0px, 10px 10px; background-size: 21px 21px; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.65) 0px 5px 35px; margin-top: 0px;" width="153" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amanda Kern</td></tr>
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From the <a href="https://www.sj-r.com/news/20180810/springfield-woman-gets-28-years-for-murder-of-girlfriend">State Journal-Register</a>:<br />
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<b>Springfield woman gets 28 years for murder of girlfriend</b><br /><br />By Dean Olsen <br />Staff Writer <br /><br />Posted Aug 10, 2018 at 1:46 PM Updated Aug 15, 2018 at 7:16 PM<br /><a href="https://facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://www.sj-r.com/news/20180810/springfield-woman-gets-28-years-for-murder-of-girlfriend"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet/?text=Springfield%20woman%20gets%2028%20years%20for%20murder%20of%20girlfriend%0Ahttps://www.sj-r.com/news/20180810/springfield-woman-gets-28-years-for-murder-of-girlfriend"></a> <a href="mailto:?subject=Springfield%20woman%20gets%2028%20years%20for%20murder%20of%20girlfriend&body=https://www.sj-r.com/news/20180810/springfield-woman-gets-28-years-for-murder-of-girlfriend"></a> <br />A Springfield woman who pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and admitted to stabbing her girlfriend 39 times in a rage as the girlfriend tried to leave the relationship two years ago was sentenced to 28 years in prison Friday.<br /><br />Circuit Court Judge John “Mo” Madonia issued the sentence against Emmaline Osborne, 26, who cried repeatedly during the three-hour sentencing hearing and apologized to the family of her victim, Amanda Kern, 22.<br /><br />“I’m sorry to the whole family because I know you all trusted me, and I broke that trust,” Osborne said as friends and relatives from both families dabbed away tears in the courtroom audience.<br /><br />The former nursing home kitchen worker was arrested at the scene of the murder May 10, 2016, in the kitchen of a house where the couple lived in the 1500 block of East Lawrence Avenue. Kern was brought to HSHS St. John’s Hospital, where she died from the stab wounds.<br /><br />Madonia said from the bench that he knew the sentence — which Osborne must serve 100 percent of, taking into account 823 days already served — wouldn’t satisfy the family of Kern. The Kern family requested a life sentence for Osborne.<br /><br />Sangamon County State’s Attorney John Milhiser had asked for a 35-year sentence, while Osborne’s attorney, assistant public defender Lindsay Evans, asked for 20 years, the minimum allowable sentence.<br /><br />Madonia said the prison term he imposed was more than the minimum because the court needs to send a message that domestic violence is unacceptable.<br /><br />But he said he tempered the sentence somewhat because Osborne was a victim of domestic violence herself at the hands of an alcoholic mother.<br /><br />The judge also noted that Osborne had no prior criminal record and was diagnosed after the fact with depression and borderline personality disorder.<br /><br />Madonia said he wished the Illinois General Assembly allowed him to lengthen a sentence when a murder is committed as an act of domestic violence.<br /><br />Kern’s mother, Denise Kern, 49, of New Lenox, testified she wished her daughter died as a result of a heroin overdose after the many years Amanda struggled with drug addiction.<br /><br />“At least it would have been a quiet, peaceful departure,” Denise Kern said.<br /><br />The way her daughter died gives her frequent nightmares, Denise Kern said, looking at Osborne, with whom Amanda Kern had a seven-month relationship.<br /><br />“I envision the last moments of torture my daughter endured at the hands of you,” Kern said. “Thirty-nine times? This was not a snap decision. You clearly wanted her dead. You took my life, as well.”<br /><br />Amanda Kern’s sister, Alyssa, 19, took the stand to say her sister’s death was “gruesome and unnecessary,” and that Amanda was “butchered” as part of a premeditated act.<br /><br />“It takes a long time to count to 39,” Alyssa Kern said. “My sister was alive the whole time.”<br /><br />Denise Kern said her daughter was a “bright, bubbly, happy child” who realized she was a lesbian during adolescence and began using marijuana and other drugs.<br /><br />Amanda Kern graduated to heroin during high school, and her family — living in a “modest home with two loving parents” — placed her in drug-treatment programs several times, her mother said.<br /><br />“Her life mattered, and it continued to matter ... drug use or not,” Denise Kern said.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3127173910838212759.post-82740060629955215622019-05-01T16:09:00.000-07:002019-05-01T16:38:32.965-07:00Mona Ulibarri (1979)Mona Ulibarri was murdered in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA in April 1979.<br />
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Her case is mentioned in an October 2018 <a href="https://www.sltrib.com/news/2018/10/14/theres-evidence-missing/">Salt Lake Tribune</a> article on cold cases involving the murders of gay people in that area. The article mostly deals with the murder of a black gay male, a socialist, named Anthony Adams, in November 1978.<br />
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The article also notes that Ulibarri's case, like a few others, is "missing select pieces of evidence."<br />
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The following is also reported:<br />
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Ulibarri’s body had been discovered in the Jordan River in April 1979, and her vehicle abandoned nearby had been set on fire.<br />
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Notes about the evidence provided in the Ulibarri case indicate only fingernails collected from the scene are now missing. But the original police report said that semen was recovered from Ulibarri’s body, suggesting that if there was still a sample in evidence, it could potentially be tested against offender databases or samples from the numerous witnesses who were seen drinking with Ulibarri the night she was killed.<br />
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Asked about this, Salt Lake City police denied that such evidence was even possible to recover in 1979 from a drowned body. When shown the section of the report stating that the Medical Examiner’s Office in 1979 had in fact tested and confirmed the semen sample before returning it to police, spokesman Wilking said a detective, newly assigned to the file, would have to look into it.<br />
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A newspaper search for 1979 failed to uncover any other information.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3127173910838212759.post-38347324218515939382019-05-01T15:31:00.000-07:002019-05-01T16:11:02.531-07:00Rosalyn Lewis (2018)<div>
Rosalyn Lewis was murdered in Conyers, Georgia, USA in December 2018. </div>
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From <a href="https://www.projectq.us/atlanta/atlanta_lesbian_shoots_at_police_after_killing_partner?gid=19463">Project Q</a>:<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Atlanta lesbian shot by police after allegedly killing partner</b><br />By Project Q Atlanta | Dec 14, 2018 | 10:29 AM<br /><br />A metro Atlanta woman accused of stabbing her partner to death on Monday and shooting at police after a high-speed chase is also a person of interest in the disappearance of another partner seven years ago.<br /><br />Joyce Marie Lewis-Pelzer, 42, allegedly stabbed a woman nearly 40 times at a Motel 6 in Conyers on Monday, according to the AJC. She died before she was loaded into an ambulance. The victim is 47-year-old Rosalyn Lewis, 47, according to the Rockdale Newton Citizen. <br /><br />After interviewing witnesses, police issued a lookout to law enforcement agencies for Lewis-Pelzer and were concerned that she was fleeing to Florida. The Georgia State Patrol spotted her later Monday in Crisp County traveling south on I-75, according to a GBI news release.<br /><br />“We gave them the lookout on the vehicle she was driving and based on the timing, we were hoping to get ahead of her,” Conyers police spokesperson Kim Lucas told the AJC. “Georgia State Patrol did spot her and did a fantastic job.”<br /><br />State troopers tried to stop the car Lewis-Pelzer was driving but failed. The high-speed chase continued for about 10 miles. That's when state troopers again rammed her vehicle and stopped it, according to the GBI.<br /><br />That’s when gunfire erupted.<br /><br />“Two Crisp County deputies approached the vehicle and at least one shot was fired at the deputies from inside Lewis-Pelzer’s vehicle. The two deputies returned fire, striking her. One of the deputies on scene was medically trained and rendered aid until EMS arrived,” the news release said.<br /><br />Lewis-Pelzer was airlifted to Navicent Health Center in Macon where she is in serious but stable condition. No officers were injured in the incident, according to the GBI.<br /><br />Conyers police told WSB-TV that they are also looking into whether Lewis-Pelzer is responsible for the murder of her a former partner who went missing seven years ago.<br /><br />Shawndell McLeod disappeared in 2011. Her car was found abandoned several days later about 40 miles from her Atlanta home. DeKalb County Police Det. Henry Guest quickly zeroed in on Lewis-Pelzer as a suspect, according to True Crime Daily.</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3127173910838212759.post-18640451600282795142019-05-01T14:45:00.001-07:002019-05-01T16:10:23.359-07:00Two Unnamed Women - Guatemala (2019)Two unnamed women were murdered in Jelapa, Guatemala in April 2019.<br />
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From <a href="https://www.elespanol.com/mundo/20190424/asesinan-mujeres-guatemala-lesbianas/393460855_0.html">El Espanol</a>:<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Two women killed in Guatemala "for lesbians"</b><br />Their bodies were found Monday night with a message saying "por panochas".April 24, 2019 07:30<br /><br />The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Guatemala condemned on Wednesday the murder of two women in the municipality of Jalapa, 99 kilometers east of the capital, on which there was a message "lesbophobic."<br /><br />The source indicated in its social networks that it is "two lesbian women in Jalapa" and demanded the "right to a life free of violence" for the LGBTIQ population (Lesbians, Gais, Bisexuals, Transsexuals, Intersex and Queer).<br /><br />According to the director of Auxil·les of the Guatemalan Human Rights Ombudsman (PDH), Miguel Colop, the victims were murdered on Monday night and found with a message that read: "Por panochas".<br /><br />Colop told Efe that one of the bodies was identified by his relatives and said that the Attorney General's Office will be presented this Wednesday before the National Institute of Forensic Sciences to follow up on the case , which is already being investigated by the Police.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">For his part, the head of the Human Rights Ombudsman, Jordán Rodas, strongly condemned these murders and sent his solidarity and condolences to the relatives and friends of the victims, as well as to the entire LGBTIQ community.<br /><br />In addition , he demanded that the authorities investigate this fact and bring the perpetrators and intellectuals before the courts , and reiterated to the authorities that it is urgent to implement measures to promote respect for the LGBTIQ population, prevent homophobic attitudes and speeches and murders " motivated by hatred. "<br /><br />The LGBTIQ rights organization Red Nacional Lambda published a statement in which it affirmed that both lesbian women were "killed with extreme violence" and that their bodies were tied up.<br /><br />In addition, the Oenegé Visibles also condemned the murder, denounced the continuity of the acts of "violence for prejudice" and demanded that the authorities investigate what happened.<br /><br />Visibles added in a message posted on his Twitter account that, taking into account this case, three lesbian women have been murdered in the municipality of Jalapa in the last seven months .<br /><br />During the first quarter of 2019, a total of 1,183 people were killed in Guatemala according to statistics released last April 10 by the National Institute of Forensic Sciences, three more homicides than those identified by the entity in the same period last year.<br /><br />Of the total number of victims of violence in the Central American country in the first three months of the year, 177 were women. </span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3127173910838212759.post-41280804912427799022019-04-20T12:07:00.000-07:002019-04-20T12:07:14.990-07:00Lyra McKee (2019)<b>Lyra McKee</b> was murdered in Londonderry, Northern Ireland in April 2019.<br />
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From <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/20/uk/lyra-mckee-two-men-arrested-gbr-intl/index.html">CNN</a>:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/190419142825-lyra-mckee-facebook-picture-exlarge-169.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="In 2016, Lyra McKee was named as one of Forbes Magazine&#39;s 30 under 30.
" border="0" class="media__image media__image--responsive" data-demand-load="loaded" data-eq-pts="mini: 0, xsmall: 221, small: 308, medium: 461, large: 781" data-eq-state="mini xsmall small medium" data-src-full16x9="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/190419142825-lyra-mckee-facebook-picture-full-169.jpg" data-src-large="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/190419142825-lyra-mckee-facebook-picture-super-169.jpg" data-src-medium="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/190419142825-lyra-mckee-facebook-picture-exlarge-169.jpg" data-src-mini1x1="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/190419142825-lyra-mckee-facebook-picture-small-11.jpg" data-src-mini="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/190419142825-lyra-mckee-facebook-picture-small-169.jpg" data-src-small="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/190419142825-lyra-mckee-facebook-picture-large-169.jpg" data-src-xsmall="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/190419142825-lyra-mckee-facebook-picture-medium-plus-169.jpg" height="224" src="https://cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/190419142825-lyra-mckee-facebook-picture-exlarge-169.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lyra McKee</td></tr>
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<b>Two teenagers arrested in the killing of journalist Lyra McKee</b><div>
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Londonderry/Derry, Northern Ireland (CNN)Northern Ireland police have arrested two teenagers in connection with the murder of 29-year-old investigative journalist Lyra McKee, authorities said Saturday.</div>
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<br />The men, aged 18 and 19, were arrested under the terrorism act, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) tweeted. They have been taken to a police station in central Belfast.</div>
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<br />Police are investigating whether they acted with others.</div>
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<br />McKee, a prominent freelance journalist who wrote for publications including The Atlantic and Buzzfeed News, was killed in the Creggan area of Londonderry, also known as Derry, on Thursday night in what police described as a "terrorist incident."<br /><br />Police said the shooting was carried out by dissident republicans, namely the New IRA.<br /></div>
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"I believe both of those [arrested suspects] are members of the new IRA and I believe both were involved in the attack on Lyra," Detective Superintendent Jason Murphy said at a press conference Saturday as he appealed for eye witnesses to come forward.</div>
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<br />"Lyra was killed by shots that were fired indiscriminately," he said. "The gunman showed no thought for who may have been killed or injured when he fired these shots.</div>
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<br />"I know there will be some people who know what happened but are scared to come forward. I want to reassure you that we will work with you sensitively."</div>
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<br />The PSNI released CCTV footage of the shooting in the hope that members of the public would provide information to assist the investigation into McKee's murder.The footage apparently captures McKee's final moments at around 10 p.m. local time (5p ET) on Thursday, when she stood among a crowd and raised her phone in the air to capture the rioting taking place in front of her.</div>
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<br />McKee was standing close to a police vehicle when she was wounded by the shots fired by a single gunman. She died soon after from her injuries, assistant chief constable Mark Hamilton told reporters Friday.</div>
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<br />"I cannot stress enough how important it is that people who were in the area last night and who recorded video and took photos share what they have with us," Murphy said in a statement on Friday.<div class="pg-rail-tall__wrapper" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding-right: 320px; position: relative;">
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"People saw the gunman and people saw those who goaded young people out onto the streets, people know who they are. The answers to what happened last night lie within the community. I am asking people to do the right thing for Lyra McKee, for her family and for the city... help us stop this madness."<br /><br />'Single barbaric act'<div>
<br />McKee, who was born in Belfast, is the first journalist to be killed in the United Kingdom since 2001, according to nonprofit organization the Committee to Protect Journalists.<div>
<br />During a vigil on Friday, her partner, Sara Canning, said McKee's "amazing potential was snuffed out by this single barbaric act."</div>
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<br />"Victims and LGBTQIA community are left without a tireless advocate and activist and it has left me without the love of my life, the woman I was planning to grow old with," she added.</div>
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<br /><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/19/uk/my-friend-lyra-mckee-gbr-intl/index.html"><img src="https://cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/190419125014-03-lyra-mckee-medium-plus-169.jpg" /></a><br />My friend Lyra McKee lost her life seeking the truth<div>
<br />"This cannot stand. Lyra's death must not be in vain because her life was a shining light in everyone else's life and her legacy will live on and the life that she has left behind."</div>
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<br />In a rare joint appearance Friday, Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Arlene Foster and Irish republican Sinn Fein party leader Mary Lou McDonald condemned the killing.</div>
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<br />Thursday night's violence came ahead of Easter weekend, during which some republicans mark the anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising, considered one of the most important events in the struggle for Irish independence from Britain.</div>
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<br />Trouble flared when police entered the Creggan area in Londonderry to carry out searches among dissident republicans who were storing firearms and explosives for a number of planned attacks over Easter weekend, police said in a statement.</div>
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<br />As the searches began, a crowd gathered and "upwards of 50 petrol bombs were thrown at officers," the statement said. Two vehicles were hijacked and set on fire, it added.</div>
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A recent spate of unrest in Northern Ireland has raised fears that sectarian violence might be revived amid ongoing concerns over the effects of Brexit.</div>
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<br />In January, a car bomb was detonated in Londonderry in a suspected attack by the New IRA.</div>
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<br />Many fear that Britain's departure from the European Union will mean the reintroduction of border posts on the frontier between Northern Ireland, part of the UK, and the Republic of Ireland, a European Union member.</div>
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<br />Border infrastructure was often targeted by Irish republican paramilitaries during the "Troubles," the decades-long sectarian conflict in which more than 3,500 people died.<br /><br />Nic Robertson and Peter Taggart reported from Northern Ireland. Tara John reported and wrote from London.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3127173910838212759.post-44778966938822744652019-03-20T12:59:00.002-07:002019-03-20T12:59:33.297-07:00Salina “Salamander” Rivera (2019)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Salina “Salamander” Rivera</b> was murdered in Hyattsville, Maryland, USA in March 2019. <div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salina "Salamander" Rivera</td></tr>
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From the <a href="https://www.washingtonblade.com/2019/03/19/md-man-arrested-for-murder-of-lesbian-dj/">Washington Blade</a>:<br />
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March 19, 2019 at 9:03 am EDT | by Lou Chibbaro Jr.<br /><b>Md. man arrested for murder of lesbian DJ</b><br /><br />A 21-year-old Aberdeen, Md., man was being held without bond this week after being charged on March 15 with the murder of lesbian DJ Salina “Salamander” Rivera, 27, who was found shot to death three days earlier outside her residence in Hyattsville.<br /><br />Prince George’s County Police said they have charged Alexander Maskiewicz of the 4000 block of Ventura Way in Aberdeen with first-degree murder in connection with Rivera’s death.<br /><br />“On March 12, at approximately 7:55 p.m., patrol officers with the Hyattsville City Police Department were called to the 6200 block of Belcrest Road for a reported shooting,” a statement by P.G. County Police says. “When they arrived, officers discovered Rivera in a walkway suffering from a gunshot wound. She was pronounced dead at the scene,” the statement says.<br /><br />“The preliminary investigation reveals the suspect shot the victim while attempting to rob her during an illegal drug transaction,” the statement adds. It provides no further details about the drug transaction.<br /><br />P.G. Police officials said the investigation into the fatal shooting continues and that anyone with information relevant to the case should call detectives at 301-772-4925. <br /><br />Rivera went by the nickname Salamander, which she used and was best known for in her work as a DJ in D.C.-area nightclubs and dance events. She had been scheduled to work as a DJ at the U Street Music Hall in D.C. on March 14, two days after her death.<br /><br />She announced on her Facebook page that she was scheduled to serve as a DJ in June at an event associated with D.C.’s Capital Pride.<br /><br /><br />Fox 5 News interviewed a woman who identified herself as Rivera’s girlfriend who asked not to be identified or have her face shown on camera.<br /><br />“She was beautiful and soft and kind hearted and strong and just and fair and understanding and all she ever wanted was peace,” the girlfriend told Fox 5 News in describing Rivera.<br /><br />In a posting on a GoFundMe page set up by family members to help pay for funeral arrangements, Rivera’s sister, Sabrina Rivera, said friends and family members were devastated over Salina Rivera’s sudden loss.<br /><br />“For those who did not have the privilege of knowing my sister, she could light up any room,” Sabrina Rivera said in her post. “She was the most down-to-earth human being. She was generous and fair, a true Libra as she would say,” Sabrina Rivera wrote.<br /><br />“We are completely devastated that [allegedly] someone so close to her would end up destroying her,” Sabrina Rivera continued. “Salina was the thread that held our family together and truly the best sister that I could ever have been blessed with. We need to honor her life.”<div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3127173910838212759.post-1379165483521109312019-03-17T16:57:00.001-07:002019-03-17T16:57:39.619-07:00Brenda Lorena Alvarado Montoya (2019)<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Brenda Lorena Alvarado Montoya</b> was murdered in Tegucigalpa, Honduras in March 2019.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image result for Brenda Lorena Alvarado Montoya" height="246" src="https://www.laprensa.hn/csp/mediapool/sites/dt.common.streams.StreamServer.cls?STREAMOID=Q$2kWTa5mpfOaUAsZ3vX$s$daE2N3K4ZzOUsqbU5sYuepSgNZJjyTJm53YIxD6EN6FB40xiOfUoExWL3M40tfzssyZqpeG_J0TFo7ZhRaDiHC9oxmioMlYVJD0A$3RbIiibgT65kY_CSDiCiUzvHvODrHApbd6ry6YGl5GGOZrs-&CONTENTTYPE=image/jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brenda Lorena Alvarado Montoya</td></tr>
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<br />Summarized and Excerpted from <a href="https://www.laprensa.hn/sucesos/1263873-410/mujer-taxista-encontrada-muerta-carretera-olancho">La Prensa</a>: <br /><br /><b>Female Taxi Driver Found Dead on Road to Olancho</b><br /><br />It was reported that the woman was strangled, because the body had no other visible wounds<br /><br />March 2, 2019 / 10:00 p.m.<br /><br />At 7 a.m. yesterday, police were notified that there was a body of a woman on the side of the road.<br /><br />The woman was identified as Brenda Lorena Alvarado Montoya, 31, who had worked for several years as a taxi driver in the Villa Nueva neighborhood of Tugucigalpa. <br /><br />Relatives who came to the morgue to claim the body commented that Brenda was a lesbian and that she lived with another woman who was her partner. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3127173910838212759.post-76916537400426343182019-03-17T16:00:00.001-07:002019-03-17T16:00:51.420-07:00Thuthukile Mabasa (2018)<br /><b>Thuthukile Mabasa</b> was murdered near Capetown, South Africa in the fall of 2018. <br /><br />From <a href="https://listening2lesbians.com/2019/03/12/south-africa-still-no-charges-over-brutal-rape-and-murder-of-lesbian/?fbclid=IwAR3-zsoc29qGJ-dgxXoP3FIebmf1GBybBdMug3UxgjO-0WLSRSE7t13MdVU">Listening2Lesbians</a>:<br /><br /><b>Lesbian's murder still unsolved nearly six months later</b><br /><br /><a href="https://www.iol.co.za/weekend-argus/news">NEWS</a> / 12 MARCH 2019, 09:30AM / BULELWA PAYI<br />
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Cape Town - Almost six months after the rape and murder of a young Gugulethu woman, community and gender activist groups are still shocked at the lack of progress in the investigation.<br /><br />Now they fear those who killed Thuthukile Mabasa might never be brought to justice.<br /><br />Community leader Nuse Mpetha said they believed Mabasa was raped and murdered because she was a lesbian. And their attempts to find answers into Mabasa’s death has only yielded more questions.<br /><br />According to Mpetha, Mabasa was last seen by a male friend in the company of a lesbian friend.<br /><br />But what happened afterwards and how she got to the house where she was allegedly killed was not clear.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3127173910838212759.post-53106922460174269862019-03-17T15:38:00.000-07:002019-03-17T16:58:11.279-07:00Nicole Saavedra (2016)<b>Nicole Saavedra</b> was murdered in Valparaiso, Brazil in June 2016. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Dos años sin justicia para Nicole Saavedra: Crimen de odio de joven lesbiana sigue en la impunidad" height="211" src="https://www.eldesconcierto.cl/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Captura-de-pantalla-2016-06-28-a-las-15.04.24-720x380.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nicole Saavedra</td></tr>
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From <a href="http://web.observador.cl/silenciadas-presentaran-documental-sobre-crimen-de-nicole-saavedra-en-parque-cultural-de-valparaiso/?fbclid=IwAR0D1X0BP9_zGE5BFHq4Jk2MX1uwjFOv0qMXMIIrbCmhpDST2Qw1nzI7FdM">El Observator</a>: </div>
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<b style="font-family: inherit;">"Silenciadas": will present documentary on crime of Nicole Saavedra in Cultural Park of Valparaíso</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />Posted on 03/15/2019 By EO<br /><br />The audiovisual work, "Silenciadas", premiered at the Cultural Center Leopoldo Silva, during December 2018 and can be seen for the second time in the region at 17:00 on Sunday, March 17, 2019 in the Cultural Park of Valparaiso<br /><br />VALPARAÍSO.- Nicole Saavedra disappeared in the whereabouts 7 of Quillota during the early hours of June 18, 2016, while waiting for the microphone to return to her home in El Melón after a party with her friends. His 23-year-old body was found a week later on a hill near Limache with clear evidence of torture.<br /><br />Few knew about this crime. The truth was that Nicole had suffered discrimination and harassment throughout her life, not only for being a lesbian, but for her masculine appearance. The national media hardly followed the case and the silence around his death revealed a painful reality.<br /><br />That justice is not the same for Nicole, a lesbian, camiona, poor and rural woman is a reality. Because of this, and considering the extreme violence that lesbians are subjected to every day and the impunity that still exists in their case, is that the directors, Maria Ignacia Santos and Barbara Montecinos, made the invitation to be part of a new pre -Extra feature of the documentary "Silenciadas".</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3127173910838212759.post-42467255242397761882019-03-17T15:17:00.001-07:002019-03-17T15:21:49.215-07:00Brazil: Two Ex-Police Charged with Murder of Lesbian Activist Politician Marielle FrancoFrom <a href="https://listening2lesbians.com/2019/03/12/brazil-two-ex-police-charged-with-murder-of-lesbian-activist-politician-marielle-franco-and-her-driver/?fbclid=IwAR04a1-qTJG_v_GQn9oBZVgQ3ST4gEwSejHnfc1LovviERwaeghuKGdzevI">Listening2Lesbians</a>:<br /><br />Two former police officers have been arrested over the murder of the Rio de Janeiro councillor Marielle Franco, two days before the first anniversary of her death, which prompted international outrage. Franco, a groundbreaking politician who was born in one of Rio’s largest favelas and became a voice for disadvantaged people in the city, was killed in a drive-by shooting along with her driver, Anderson Gomes. She had criticised police killings in the favelas where she grew up and took part in a 2008 state legislature inquiry into the paramilitary gangs that dominate large areas of Rio state. Known as militias, these groups often include police officers. The suspects were identified as Ronnie Lessa, a retired military police officer, and Élcio Vieira de Queiroz, a former police officer.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3127173910838212759.post-3144004421492030192019-03-17T15:09:00.002-07:002019-03-17T15:19:54.390-07:00Brazil: Murders of Lesbians Increased by 237% in 3 YearsFrom <a href="http://arnegielibrary.org/events/?tribe-bar-category=All+Categories&tribe-bar-location=732&tribe-bar-age-group=All+Ages&tribe-bar-date=2019-03-01&tribe-bar-date-day=&tribe-bar-date-to=2019-03-10&tribe-bar-search=&submit-bar=Find+Events">Listening2Lesbians</a>:<br />
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Between 2014 and 2017 the murders of lesbian women increased by 237%. The study ” Murdered by lesbophobia – The stories that no one has” made by “We – Feminists Dissidences” collective, shows both how crimes have increased and also that in most cases the murdered women were young and black.<br />In Brazil, lesbian women face many dangers, it goes beyond lesbophobia, it is also machismo, misogyny and racism. “Lesbians are sexually and affectively exclusively with women, but the main lesbian killers in Brazil are men,” says Cinthia Abreu, member of the World March of Women and March of Black Women of São Paulo.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3127173910838212759.post-85425134685238804372018-06-14T15:36:00.005-07:002018-06-14T15:36:49.941-07:00Sidney Loofe (2017)<b>Sidney Loofe</b> was murdered in the state of Nebraska, USA in November 2017.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6pMOH6FBAq72rIhTcalc7zAQ70nO1XlDk68ZOWpdAkRt8qUwUhlrB3hRhTzNPJUNu-N6yHkreAJTBt_qUdXFHImQVc5kxYL7BbylpYojyTHwdQnOYi4MdWqFC7cN8zhKm_gbKrnkWMGs/s1600/Loofe+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="558" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6pMOH6FBAq72rIhTcalc7zAQ70nO1XlDk68ZOWpdAkRt8qUwUhlrB3hRhTzNPJUNu-N6yHkreAJTBt_qUdXFHImQVc5kxYL7BbylpYojyTHwdQnOYi4MdWqFC7cN8zhKm_gbKrnkWMGs/s320/Loofe+%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sidney Loofe</td></tr>
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From <a href="https://metro.co.uk/2018/06/13/lesbian-dismembered-tricked-tinder-date-by-couple-wanted-threesome-7628037/">Metro News (UK)</a>:<br />
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<b>Lesbian ‘dismembered after being tricked into Tinder date with couple who wanted a threesome’ </b><br />
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Jimmy McCloskey<br />
Wednesday 13 Jun 2018 1:53 pm<br />
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A woman was murdered and her body dismembered after she was tricked into a Tinder date with another woman whose secret boyfriend wanted a threesome. Sidney Loofe, 24, was found chopped up in several garbage bags after meeting Bailey Boswell for a date on the app, with Boswell and her boyfriend Aubrey Trail charged with first-degree murder Monday.<br />
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Loofe, of Lincoln, Neb., vanished after the date on November 15 last year, after telling a co-worker how excited she was about going on the date.<br />
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A day later, a landlord called police to report a strong smell of bleach coming from the basement where Boswell and Trail lived.<br />
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They executed a search warrant there, and eventually found Loofe’s dismembered remains stuffed inside several garbage bags scattered along a road in rural Nebraska early December. Aubrey Trail reportedly strangled Loofe with an extension cord after his girlfriend Bailey Boswell tricked her into meeting them to fulfill his fantasy of having sex with two women.<br />
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Her alleged killers were soon tracked down in Branson, Mo., with Trail claiming he had strangled Loofe with an extension cord after his threeway fantasy went wrong.<br />
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He told the Omaha World-Herald: ‘It wasn’t supposed to go to the extreme it went, of course not. ‘It wasn’t meant that she was to die.’<br />
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He began calling the paper even before he was charged, and even said he should be put to death<br />
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Trail told reporter Paul Hammel: ‘Try me. Charge me. Let’s get justice for Sydney Loofe.<br />
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It was suffocation.<br />
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‘It happened in Saline County.<br />
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‘A life for a life — that’s the rules in my world.<br />
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‘I should be put to death.’<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3127173910838212759.post-63832359509858465102018-06-05T16:56:00.002-07:002018-06-05T16:56:58.444-07:00Anne Mikaelly (2018)<b>Anne Mikaelly</b> was murdered in Brasilia, Brasil in January 2018.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anne Mikaelly</td></tr>
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From <a href="http://www.jornaldebrasilia.com.br/cidades/garota-e-assassinada-ao-tentar-pedir-a-namorada-em-casamento/">jornaldebrasilia</a>:<br />
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<b>Girl is murdered while trying to ask her girlfriend's hand in marriage</b><br />
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The father of Anne Mickaelly's girlfriend is accused of the crime.<br />
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A 23-year-old girl was stabbed to death on Saturday night (Jan 7), on the 519 block from Samambaia. The main suspect in the crime is a 46-year-old man, the father of the girl with whom the victim had a romantic relationship. Anne Mickaelly had gone to her girlfriend's house to ask her to marry her.<br />
<br />
The suspect picked up a knife and ran after the victim. She was stabbed in the head and the face. The young woman died at the scene and the man fled. He remains at large.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3127173910838212759.post-63860917874864046702018-06-04T17:04:00.000-07:002018-06-04T17:04:03.637-07:00Unathi Bixa (2017)<b>Unathi Bixa </b>was murdered in November 2017 in Capetown, South Africa.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqiDSUWNsgk5x6vZFYD-WkLofVWmHFLgMTJMDANDW46epOeHKgMasUFO1PFAYJiBVZy2xVZIZIh5ES7NbKxZYKxmScK3KMakfkV8gSGE7c0w5qIvLfou5GVkGZx1az5sBztNuKQ1drnQ8/s1600/Bixa_extra_large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="562" data-original-width="750" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqiDSUWNsgk5x6vZFYD-WkLofVWmHFLgMTJMDANDW46epOeHKgMasUFO1PFAYJiBVZy2xVZIZIh5ES7NbKxZYKxmScK3KMakfkV8gSGE7c0w5qIvLfou5GVkGZx1az5sBztNuKQ1drnQ8/s320/Bixa_extra_large.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unathi Bixa</td></tr>
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From <a href="https://citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/1934141/ct-protest-over-police-handling-of-lesbian-murder/">The Citizen:</a><br />
<br />
22.5.2018 09:30 am<br />
<b>CT protest over police handling of lesbian murder</b><br />
<br />
Vincent Lali, GroundUp<br />
<br />
Gender and gay rights organisations marched to Delft police station in Cape Town on Saturday.<br />
About 150 people marched to the Delft police station, Cape Town, on Saturday, demanding that police take action in the murder case of Unathi Bixa, who was shot dead in broad daylight last year.<br />
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“We demand that the investigator handling Bixa’s case be removed, failing which we will take the matter to another level. We want progress reports on the case on a monthly basis,” said Funeka Soldaat, coordinator of Free Gender, a black lesbian organisation based in Khayelitsha.<br />
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“The investigator seems to have no clue about how to go about probing the case,” said Soldaat. “We keep on correcting him when he refers to Bixa as a ‘he’.” Soldaat says they must refer to as a she, and acknowledge that she’s a lesbian.<br />
<br />
“We gave the police our cell numbers and email addresses so they could keep us informed about the investigation, but they never bothered to contact us,” she said.<br />
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Free Gender, End Rape, Triangle Project, Khaya Vac and Affirmative Ministries participated in the march. The marchers sang, “We will go forward even if they rape and beat us up”. They carried placards that read: “Rape culture must fall”, “We need justice”, and “Long live the spirit of Noxolo Klaas”. A leader of the march shouted, “Be strong, lesbians and gays. Be strong!”<br />
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“How many times must a man kill lesbians before he is judged a killer?” asked Soldaat. “A reveller slapped Noxolo Klaas on her bum during New Year festivities in Strand. When she complained about the slapping, he stabbed her to death … The man is out of jail now but I don’t know why.”<br />
<br />
In 2016, GroundUp reported on how no arrests had been made in the murder of Phumeza Nkolonzi, a young lesbian woman shot in 2012. GroundUp has also been following the murder case of Noxolo Xakeka, who was lesbian and allegedly stabbed to death by accused Bongile Joni after he made homophobic comments. The accused will appear in court on Wednesday.<br />
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Captain Sizwe Tyala received a memorandum of demands and said he would hand it to the station commander who was not present at the time.<br />
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Velisa Jara, chairperson of Free Gender, said lesbians were raped and the “rapists said they wanted to change them from being men into being women”. She mentioned two incidents, last year and another early this year in Makhaza, Khayelitsha. “They [the victims] are undergoing counselling now, but they are still too traumatised to open up about their experiences. Even counsellors are battling to get them to talk.”<br />
<br />
Phumeza Runeyi said the protests were slowly shifting attitudes towards lesbians and gays. “We are here to pressurise cops to arrest the man who killed Bixa because we want justice for her. Lesbians and gays get maltreated and raped every day in the townships, so we want cops to protect us.”<br />
<br />
Among the marchers were victims of homophobic attacks. Sinoxolo Nqwenani said: “At one time thugs robbed me of my cell phone and money in Mandela Park. They beat me up and told me to fight back because I’m also a man.”<br />
<br />
Western Cape police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Andrè Traut said: “This office can confirm that a group of about 150 community members staged a peaceful march to Delft police station and handed over a memorandum to a representative of SAPS regarding gender based violence.”<br />
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GroundUp are awaiting comment from police on the Bixa case.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3127173910838212759.post-31556866733154290522018-05-05T19:46:00.000-07:002018-05-05T19:46:21.117-07:00Justice for Charlene Ranstrom and Brenda WarnerFrom <a href="https://intomore.com/impact/New-Hampshire-Man-Gets-15-to-40-Years-In-Prison-For-Murdering-Lesbian-Couple-in-1988/f6353a95043d4c23">Intomore</a>:<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>New Hampshire Man Gets 15 to 40 Years In Prison For Murdering Lesbian Couple in 1988</b><br />
<br />
BY: JILL GUTOWITZ 15 FEB 2018<br />
<br />
On Tuesday, 56-year old David Caplin was sentenced to 15-40 years in prison after pleading guilty to the murders of Charlene Ranstrom, 48, and Brenda Warner, 32, a lesbian couple he lived underneath in Nashua, New Hampshire in 1988.<br />
<br />
Caplin was found guilty on two counts of second-degree murder in Hillsborough County Superior Court this week after admitting to harassing, torturing, and stabbing Ranstrom and Warner to death, partly because they were gay. Ranstrom and Warner were found bound by their ankles and wrists in their bed, having sustained several stab wounds.<br />
<br />
After Caplin's alleged accomplice, Anthony Barnaby, sees his own trial in August, this horrific cold case may finally come to a close after decades of misfires. Three previous trials that took place in 1989 ended in hung juries, and the case remained open until new evidence was collected in 2010, leading to the charges against Caplin and Barnaby, Canadians who moved to Nashua for construction jobs. They both returned to Canada after the mistrials, but were extradited back to New Hampshire in 2015 after a ruling from the Supreme Court of Canada.<br />
<br />
Caplin’s semen and hair were found on Warner’s hand, placing him at the scene. Until that evidence was discovered, Caplin maintained his innocence, despite charges first brought against him nearly 30 years ago. They were dropped after a superior court ruled that the physical evidence and statement he made couldn’t be used against him, despite a former girlfriend telling authorities Caplin had previously admitted his crimes to her.<br />
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In 2011, The Boston Globe reported that prosecutors at Barnaby’s trials "argued that he killed the women because he disliked their lesbian lifestyle and had a longstanding feud with them over parking spaces and damage to their apartment."<br />
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“You butchered my sister,” Brenda’s sister, Leslie Warner, cried in court. “What a monster you are.”<br />
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"Our family has longed for this closure, and we deserve that," Warner's niece, Amy Boisvert, said. "The disgusting acts that you inflicted upon my aunt will forever be with us, but we have decided it will not define our life."<br />
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After Caplin serves his sentence, he will be deported back to Canada upon his release from prison, and he will not be allowed back into the U.S. He is expected to testify against Barnaby as part of his plea deal.<br />
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“I am very sorry. I haven’t dealt with what I did since it happened,” Caplin said during his sentencing.<br />
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Additional reporting by Trish BendixUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3127173910838212759.post-41728385357429860742018-04-09T13:03:00.002-07:002018-04-09T13:05:00.427-07:00Cassie Hayes (2018)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b style="text-align: start;">Cassie Hayes</b><span style="text-align: start;"> was murdered in Southport, Mercyside, England in January 2018. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laura Williams (left) and Cassie Hayes</td></tr>
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Excerpt from the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/apr/09/man-executed-travel-agent-for-having-relationship-with-his-ex-girlfriend-">Guardian</a>:<br />
<br />
<b>Man jailed for murder of travel agent over relationship with ex-girlfriend</b><br />
Andrew Burke, 31, sentenced to minimum of 26 years for cutting throat of Cassie Hayes at Tui branch in Southport<br />
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Josh Halliday North of England correspondent<br />
<br />
Mon 9 Apr 2018 07.06 EDT<br />
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A man has been jailed for a minimum of 26 years for murdering a travel agent in a “cold-blooded execution” at her workplace following the break-up of his relationship.<br />
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Cassie Hayes, 28, who died in hospital from a wound to the throat, was attacked in front of customers, including children, at a Tui branch in Southport.<br />
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Liverpool crown court heard that Andrew Burke, 31, had made repeated threats to kill Hayes and himself before the murder on 13 January.<br />
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Burke’s former partner Laura Williams, 29, had begun a relationship with Hayes since breaking up with Burke, the court was told.<br />
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On Monday, in front of members of Hayes’ family, he pleaded guilty to murder and having an offensive weapon in a public place.<br />
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The judge, David Aubrey, told Burke the killing was an “act of unspeakable savagery”. “This was a cowardly act of revenge designed to kill and did kill a totally innocent person in broad daylight in front of, and witnessed by, so many,” he said.<br />
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The court heard that in January 2017, a year before the killing, Burke was charged with making malicious communications over repeated threats to kill Hayes or himself. He pleaded guilty to that offence and received a fine and an unpaid work placement, the court heard.<br />
<br />
Gordon Cole QC, prosecuting, said Burke blamed Hayes for the break-up with Williams and was given a police harassment warning in May 2017, eight months before killing her.<br />
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On 12 January, the day before the murder, Burke appeared at Sefton magistrates court, where he was convicted of harassing Williams and released on bail before sentencing.<br />
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Cole said the murder was a premeditated and planned attack carried out in a “totally ruthless way”. “It was essentially an execution of a young woman in her place of work,” he said.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3127173910838212759.post-34082110275100399882018-03-16T12:35:00.002-07:002018-04-09T13:04:04.255-07:00Marielle Franco (2018)<b>Marielle Franco </b>was murdered in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in March 1918.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFtVA4QvG7Gjv3n2FJP2CjQV0wpcjHtelOVRMwg1ndwqygRUy3b5N27gFWTzGWUAz8W_7KUUlwhTq9-ca6X1irc5nW3VrLZuVg2gPpYYGs3jZn6XfVpg14mVzVciG8G19X5wJM9OFn1NI/s1600/Marielle+Franco.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="835" data-original-width="1240" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFtVA4QvG7Gjv3n2FJP2CjQV0wpcjHtelOVRMwg1ndwqygRUy3b5N27gFWTzGWUAz8W_7KUUlwhTq9-ca6X1irc5nW3VrLZuVg2gPpYYGs3jZn6XfVpg14mVzVciG8G19X5wJM9OFn1NI/s320/Marielle+Franco.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marielle Franco</td></tr>
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From <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/15/marielle-franco-shot-dead-targeted-killing-rio">the Guardian:</a><br />
<br />
<b>Protests held across Brazil after Rio councillor shot dead</b><br />
<b>Marielle Franco, known for criticism of police tactics, was killed in apparent assassination</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Dom Phillips in Rio de Janeiro<br />
Thu 15 Mar 2018 16.51 EDT<br />
<br />
Protests were held across Brazil after a popular Rio city councillor and her driver were shot dead by two men in what appears to have been a targeted assassination.<br />
<br />
Marielle Franco, 38, was a groundbreaking politician who had become a voice for disadvantaged people in the teeming favelas that are home to almost one-quarter of Rio de Janeiro’s population, where grinding poverty, police brutality and shootouts with drug gangs are routine.<br />
<br />
Richard Nunes, Rio’s head of public security, said there would be a “full investigation” into the deaths, which came despite the military taking charge of policing in the city last month after a surge in violence.<br />
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<br />
Two police officials told Associated Press that two men in a car fired nine shots into the vehicle carrying Franco and her driver, Anderson Pedro Gomes on Wednesday night. A press officer in the back seat was injured, but survived, the officials said. Both officials said it appeared Franco was targeted.<br />
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Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International condemned the killings, while friends, colleagues and politicians paid tribute to Franco.<br />
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On Thursday afternoon crowds gathered outside Rio de Janeiro’s council chamber chanting “not one step backwards” ahead of a ceremony in honour of Franco inside. Many wept as her coffin was carried inside.<br />
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The spontaneous demonstration brought together union members, feminists, leftists and residents of the city’s poorer communities.<br />
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Camila Pontes, 30, a communications officer, sheltered from the hot sun under an umbrella. “I feel lost, without hope,” she said. “It is a very tough blow for anyone who fights for justice, for freedom, for equality.”<br />
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Franco was a gay black woman who defied the odds of Rio politics to win the fifth-highest vote count among council members when she was elected in 2016. She was an expert on police violence and had recently accused officers of being overly aggressive in searching residents of gang-controlled shantytowns. A member of a leftist party, Franco was also known for her social work in favelas. She was in her first term in office.<br />
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“She was a symbol of the politics we believe in,” said communications student Jefferson Barbosa, 21, who worked with Franco at the state legislature.<br />
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“I have never been so scared,” he said. “People are shocked with what happened. They did this to Mari, one of the most popular lawmakers in Rio. What will stop them doing this to others?”<br />
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“The reaction is of indignation, revolt and sadness,” said Matheus de Santos, 20, a truck driver’s assistant from Rio’s Cidade Alta neighborhood. “She was a great representative for the black movement, for the LGBT movement.”<br />
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Daiene Mendes, 28, a journalism student and an activist from the Complexo do Alemão favela, said: “More than a friend, Marielle was a symbol of our biggest conquests. A woman like us, black, from the favela, who had a lot of strength to face the institutional challenges of the politics that always kept us distant.”<br />
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Marcelo Freixo, a member of the Rio legislative assembly from Franco’s Socialism and Liberty party, said he went to the crime scene in the Estácio area as soon as he heard his friend had been killed.<br />
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“The scene is clearly of an execution,” he said. “The shots were all directed at her. They were all from a professional.”<br />
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Brazil’s former president Dilma Rousseff described Franco as a “tireless social warrior”. “Sad days for a country where a human rights defender is brutally murdered,” she said in statement.<br />
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Redes da Maré, a non-profit group based in the favela where Franco grew up, described the killing as “an irreparable loss”.<br />
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Franco had criticised police killings. In January, 154 people were killed as a result of police action in Rio state, according to state government figures, a 57% increase from January 2017.<br />
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In February, President Michel Temer signed a decree putting the military in charge of security in Rio de Janeiro. An army general, Walter Braga Netto, was put in charge of public security and soldiers have carried out operations in gang-run favelas in a controversial attempt to curb rising crime.<br />
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One of Franco’s final posts on Twitter called attention to police violence. “Another homicide of a young man that could be credited to the police. Matheus Melo was leaving church when he was killed. How many others will have to die for this war to end?” she wrote.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3127173910838212759.post-929709699567299032018-01-13T17:33:00.000-08:002018-01-13T18:11:38.447-08:00Elke W. and Beate N. (2016)<b>Elke W.</b> and <b>Beate N. </b>were murdered in December 2016 in Gersthofen-Hirblingen, Germany.<br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "bitstream charter" , serif;"><span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-size: 14px;">Excerpt from the <a href="http://www.turkeytelegraph.com/business/double-murder-of-greed-defendant-silent-in-court-h5437.html">Turkey Telegraph</a>:</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "bitstream charter" , serif;"><span style="background-color: #444444; color: #f3f3f3; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "bitstream charter" , serif;"><span style="color: white; font-size: 14px;">Double murder of greed? Defendant Silent in court </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "bitstream charter" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">04 October 2017 Wednesday 06:14 - 9 reads.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "bitstream charter" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span>
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<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="background-color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "bitstream charter" , serif;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "bitstream charter" , serif;"><span style="color: white; font-size: 14px;">Overnight in December 2016 two women from Gersthofen in district of Augsburg disappeared. Friends and relatives of Elke W. and her partner Beate N. were worried for days, when the two could be located. The 49 and 50 year old women travelled happily and often, but this time they had not told anyone about any plans. Their house in the district of Hirblingen was tidy, their car found after police searched near their place of residence. Evidence of a violent crime was not revealed at first. But then investigators discovered blood stains in house that someone had thoroughly cleaned before. Almost two weeks later, there was a sad certainty: Elke W. and Beate N. weredead. Their bodies, which had a multitude of knife wounds, were found buried on the banks of the Schmutter River. Their neighbor Waldemar N., who had always been friendly to them, was to have accused of killing them out of greed.</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3127173910838212759.post-70506059446549745502018-01-13T07:49:00.001-08:002018-01-13T08:32:12.120-08:00Anisha and Joey van Niekerk (2017)<b>Anisha </b>and <b>Joey van Niekerk </b>were murdered near Magaliesberg, South Africa in December 2017.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://www.mambaonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Seven-arrested-after-horror-torture-and-murder-of-lesbian-couple.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anisha and Joey van Niekerk</td></tr>
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From <a href="http://www.mambaonline.com/2018/01/08/seven-arrested-horror-torture-murder-lesbian-couple/">Mambaonline</a>: </div>
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<b>Seven arrested after horror torture and murder of lesbian couple</b></div>
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Article by Mamba Writer | January 8, 2018</div>
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A lesbian couple from Mooinooi in the North West province are believed to have been tortured, raped, murdered and set alight, allegedly by seven people.</div>
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Anisha (30) – a manager at an Anglo mine – and Joey van Niekerk (32) went missing on 10 December when they set out to drive to Pretoria for a family funeral.</div>
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They never arrived at their destination and their burnt-out vehicle was later found in the Magaliesberg area.</div>
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Police were then led to burnt human remains hidden in bushes near Mooinooi, believed to be those of the two women. The authorities are awaiting the results of forensic tests to confirm the bodies’ identities.</div>
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The couple have been described as “life partners” in some reports, but they were married (based on a Facebook post, possibly since 2014).</div>
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According to Rapport, the women were hung up in a shipping container, tortured and shot dead, after which their bodies were set on fire.</div>
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It’s not clear if the murder was linked to the women’s sexuality. Anisha’s brother, Wynand van Niekerk, believes they were killed by someone who was trying to force the couple to sell their smallholding in Mooinooi.</div>
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Seven individuals, including a minor and others aged 18 to 39, have been arrested and appeared in the Brits Magistrates’ Court last week. Family members of the two victims and other community members attended the hearing on Friday dressed in black.</div>
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It’s been reported that some of the suspects led the police to the bodies of the women after being arrested in connection with their disappearance.</div>
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According to Wynand, the murder scene is on the property belonging to one of the suspects, a panel beater. The others arrested are reported to be the man’s minor son and the boy’s 18-year-old girlfriend and four of the man’s employees.</div>
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The accused face charges of murder, rape, kidnapping, robbery and the unlawful possession of a firearm.</div>
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Wynand believes that the panel beater wanted the women’s land because his workshop is located on the property.</div>
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Pretoria attorney and LGBT activist Coenie W. Kukkuk has crticised the Afrikaans media for failing to state in initial reports that the women were married, which he believes was an intentional and homophobic omission.</div>
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“The couple did not hide this – why should the Afrikaans media pussy-foot around their marital status?” he asked. “It is clear that their families cared a lot about them and accepted them – why should the rest of the country not also embrace them as that which they were; two women, very much in love and married to each other, who came to a very tragic and cruel end.”</div>
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Kukkuk added: “It raises questions that LGBT lives are ‘worth less’. Their status should be taken into account. It does not help ignoring the fact that they were lesbian.”</div>
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The case will resume on 10 January, when the suspects are expected to apply for bail.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3127173910838212759.post-8920455692021984752018-01-06T09:47:00.001-08:002018-01-13T08:32:28.235-08:00 Kaladaa Crowell (2017)<b style="font-family: "open sans", arial, serif;">Kaladaa Crowell</b><span style="font-family: "open sans", arial, serif;">, and her 11 year-old daughter, Kyra Inglett, were murdered in December 2017 in West Palm Beach, Florida, USA. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Kyra Inglett and Kaladaa Crowell</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "open sans" , "arial" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "open sans" , "arial" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">From <a href="https://rollingout.com/2018/01/02/police-hunt-florida-man-killed-moms-lesbian-lover-child/">Rolling Out</a>: </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "open sans" , "arial" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "open sans" , "arial" , serif;"><b>Police hunt for Florida man who killed his mom’s lesbian lover and child</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "open sans" , "arial" , serif;">By Mo Barnes | January 2, 2018 11:37 AM EST </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "open sans" , "arial" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "open sans" , "arial" , serif;">A West Palm Beach, Florida mother has made an impassioned plea for her son to turn himself into police after he killed her lesbian girlfriend and their 11-year-old daughter. Police have stated during a press conference that last Thursday, Marlin Larice Joseph, 26, shot and killed Kaladaa Crowell, 36, and her daughter Kyra Inglett, 11.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "open sans" , "arial" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "open sans" , "arial" , serif;">According to police, Joseph and Crowell got into a heated argument that escalated into a double murder. He fled the scene in the victim’s car and was last spotted at an ATM withdrawing cash. His mother, Robin Denson, was visibly shaken as she pleaded, “Marlin, son, I love you… You know I love you, but please, turn yourself in. If you’re scared to do so, call me.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "open sans" , "arial" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "open sans" , "arial" , serif;">According to the Palm Beach Post, local police would not let Denson make further comments about the murders while they are seeking the capture of her son. Joseph has a troubling history of encounters with the judicial system that include a history of domestic violence and prison time for lewd behavior toward a 13-year-old girl in 2013. Denson said of her son that despite mistakes, he was a “good kid” who “read the Bible every day.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "open sans" , "arial" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "open sans" , "arial" , serif;">She stated to media on Monday that she had not yet notified her girlfriend’s family about the murders and has not eaten or rested in days. She said, “I just want him to turn himself in. I know the family wants justice. I want justice, too. I love my son, but I loved Kyra and Kaladaa, too.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "open sans" , "arial" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "open sans" , "arial" , serif;">Police are offering a $5K reward for information leading to the arrest of Marlin Larice Joseph. He is described as 5’10” Black male, weighing 180 pounds with face tattoos. He fled in the vehicle with license plate BAOMJ and should be considered armed and dangerous.</span><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3127173910838212759.post-71295627754018407382018-01-06T09:20:00.004-08:002018-01-13T08:30:38.787-08:00Noxolo Xakeka (2018)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Xakeka, Noxolo (2018)</b><br />
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<b>Noxolo Xakeka </b>was murdered in Lwandle, South Africa in January 2018.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Noxolo Xakela </td></tr>
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From <a href="https://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/western-cape/lesbian-23-stabbed-to-death-in-strand-shebeen-12618736">IOL</a>:<br />
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<b>Lesbian, 23, stabbed to death in Strand shebeen</b><br />
WESTERN CAPE / 5 JANUARY 2018, 07:12AM / OKUHLE HLATI<br />
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Cape Town - The only crime Noxolo Xakeka from Strand committed was that she was a lesbian. She was stabbed to death on New Year’s Day.<br />
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During celebrations in a shack in Blaau Street, Lwandle, the 23-year-old mother was harassed, called names and assaulted before being stabbed to death by a young man. Her family claim the attack was because of her sexual orientation.<br />
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Her distraught cousin, Nokuthula Ntlazana,40, said Xakeka was called by her friends to her neighbour's shebeen to celebrate together.<br />
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“Everyone was having fun until a man provoked her by touching and teasing her about her sexuality. An argument started and she fought back as the man started beating her. Her friends and other people stopped the fight and it seemed everything was fine for a minute.<br />
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"The brother of the man who was harassing Nokuthula also made snide remarks. When she was defending herself he grabbed a knife and stabbed her three times,” Ntlazana said.<br />
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Xakeka later died in hospital. She leaves her 6-year-old son. Ntlazana said her parents, who came from the Eastern Cape for funeral preparations were taking the news hard - as a result her mother was experiencing seizures.<br />
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Outraged LGBTI rights organisations said hate crime on black lesbians was mostly prevalent in townships and rural areas and called for the speeding up of the Hate Crimes Bill.<br />
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Research, Advocacy and Policy Manager at Triangle Project, Matthew Clayton, said: "At last count there were 12 open cases in the Western Cape alone. Four of these were for murder while others were cases of rape or serious assault. The cases reported to NGOs are barely the surface of the problem and we don’t have any real idea of the levels of violence against LGBTI people.”<br />
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Founder of Khayelitsha based lesbian advocacy group, Free Gender, Funeka Soldaat, has called on communities to unite and prioritise hate crimes.<br />
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“It seems that since 2016 we have been burying lesbians killed brutally in a very strange way in our townships. For instance the ongoing case of Noluvo Swelindawo, 22, from Khayelitsha who was abducted, assaulted and shot dead.These are all young women who just want to be loved and accepted,” Soldaat said.<br />
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Sharon Cox, another activist, said gays and lesbians constantly endured verbal abuse, especially at night and weekends.<br />
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“This proves that men still feel entitled to women’s bodies and if a women does not comply with what society deems acceptable, she will suffer abuse and in the most tragic of circumstances, will lose her life.<br />
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"This is the second murder that has taken place in Lwandle. In the past 18 months we have had three murders and two gang rapes in a 12km radius from each other in the Bella Vista area.”<br />
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Police spokesperson FC Van Wyk said a murder case was registered for investigation and a suspect, 26, appeared at the Strand Magistrate's Court on Thursday. The case was remanded for April 12.<br />
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Xakeka's memorial service will be in Lwandle on Saturday from 10am.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3127173910838212759.post-53159150055233440532018-01-06T07:55:00.000-08:002018-01-13T08:33:04.014-08:00Kerrice Lewis (2018)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Kerrice Lewis </b>was murdered in December 2017 in Washington, D.C., USA.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kerrice Lewis</td></tr>
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From <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/kerrice-lewislesbian-murdered-burned-alivesay-her_us_5a5040d0e4b0ee59d41c0ac5">Huff Post</a>:<br />
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Julia Diana Robertson, Contributor<br />
Author<br />
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<b>Kerrice Lewis—Lesbian Murdered & Burned Alive—Say Her Name.</b><br />
01/06/2018 12:06 am ET<br />
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Kerrice Lewis, age 23, was brutally murdered just days after Christmas, in Washington D.C.<br />
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On Thursday, December 28, police responded to a report of gunfire on Adrian Street, just south of G Street. They arrived at 7:30 p.m. and found a vehicle on fire. After the fire was put out, officers found a woman unconscious and suffering from gunshot wounds in the trunk. Police said, by the time D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services arrived, they found “no signs consistent with life.”<br />
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Neighbors said they heard multiple gunshots in the alley behind the 800 block of Adrian Street, SE, and moments later they saw a raging fire. Kerrice Lewis was heard screaming as she tried to escape from the trunk.<br />
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Lewis was orphaned at the age of 11 and raised by her grandparents.<br />
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Her grandfather, William Sharp, said he feels as though his heart has been ripped out. He said “her mother died of a brain aneurysm and her father was tragically murdered up in the D.C. area.” Lewis struggled deeply with the loss of her parents. She recently served time in jail. Her grandfather said she was striving to turn her life around—Lewis worked on construction sites and Sharp said she “was very excited because she had just finished taking some classes and was looking forward to taking some more.” He said she was a “free spirit” and “full of life” and that “she would light up a room, just talking and laughing.”<br />
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Mercedes Rouhlac, the victims best friend and ex girlfriend, said she “talked to her everyday.” Rouhlac said she “just kept calling her” and wondering why Lewis wasn’t answering her phone.<br />
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Heartbroken friends of the victim are disappointed by the lack of media coverage.<br />
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Police don’t have a suspect or a motive yet.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1