Vallum, according to his admission, believed he would be in danger if other Latin Kings members discovered that he had engaged in a sexual relationship with a transgender teenager. On May 28, 2015, Vallum decided to kill Williamson after learning that a friend had discovered Williamson was transgender. During his romantic relationship with Williamson, Vallum kept the sexual nature of the relationship, secret from his family, friends and other members of the Latin Kings.Īround August or September 2014, Vallum terminated his romantic and sexual relationship with Williamson and had no contact with her until May 2015. But this guilty plea sends an unequivocal message that violence based on one’s gender identity violates America’s defining values of inclusivity and dignity.”Īccording to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, in the late spring or early summer of 2014, Vallum, a member of the Gulf Coast Chapter of the Almighty Latin Kings and Queens Nation, began a sexual relationship with Williamson. “No conviction, even such a historic one, can relieve the grief and anguish facing this victim’s family.

“Congress passed the Shepard-Byrd Act to protect our most vulnerable communities, including the transgender community, from harm,” said Gupta. By holding accountable the perpetrator of this heinous deed, we reinforce our commitment to ensuring justice for all Americans.” Lynch added, “While Mississippi convicted the defendant on murder charges, we believe in the fundamental value of identifying and prosecuting these bias-fueled incidents for what they are: acts of hate. “Today’s landmark guilty plea reaffirms that basic principle and it signals the Justice Department’s determination to combat hate crimes based on gender identity. “Our nation’s hate crime statutes advance one of our fundamental beliefs: that no one should have to live in fear because of who they are,” Lynch said in a news release. Davis of the Southern District of Mississippi and FBI Agent Christopher Freeze.

Lynch, deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, U.S. The plea was announced by Attorney General Loretta E. Joshua Brandon Vallum, 29, of Lucedale, Mississippi, was charged with violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Williamson was 17 years old and resided in Alabama at the time of her death. A Mississippi man has pleaded guilty to a federal hate crime, admitting he killed Mercedes Williamson because she was a transgender girl.

Joshua vallum