One of our nations fastest growing cable. Williamson was 17 years old and resided in Alabama at the time of her death. Prosecutors have said Vallum knew of Williamson’s transgender status long before he killed her. households and is available in both high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD). Joshua Brandon Vallum, 29, of Lucedale, Mississippi, pleaded guilty today to a federal hate crime for assaulting and murdering Mercedes Williamson because she was a transgender woman. He said he ‘‘blacked out’’ and doesn’t remember the crime, a variation of what’s known as a ‘‘gay panic’’ or ‘‘trans panic’’ defense. Written by: Brianne Szopinski On Monday, May 15, 2017, Joshua Vallum became the first individual to be prosecuted and sentenced for a federal hate crime.

In his defense, Vallum initially told sheriff’s deputies and later told The Sun Herald newspaper that he found out that Williamson had a penis on May 30, 2015, moments before he killed her.

Two years later, 29-year-old Vallum has been sentenced to.

Prosecutors say Vallum and Williamson dated and that Vallum killed Williamson because he worried fellow gang members would discover their relationship and kill both of them because gay sex was strictly forbidden by the gang. In May 2015, Joshua Vallum brutally murdered his ex-girlfriend, Mercedes Williamson, for fear of others learning that she was transgender. Williamson was born male but transitioned to female. The case had been closely watched by LGBT groups nationwide, who cite studies showing transgender people are particularly likely to be victims of violent crimes.Ī 2009 federal hate crimes law included protections for gay and transgender people, but of the 47 people prosecuted during the period reviewed by The Associated Press, none were for offenses against transgender people. A Lucedale man pleads guilty to a federal hate crime for assaulting and murdering Mercedes Williamson because she was a transgender woman.

Joshua vallum