As Judge Harry Sheppard instructed, the verdicts were kept secret. Jason Cazares struck a deal with prosecutors to avoid a third trial and accepted a six-year prison sentence for involuntary manslaughter. She was loving, vibrant, and beautiful. A shrine to Gwen Araujo, who was murdered at age 17 in 2002 by four men who discovered she was transgender, rests in her mother's home in Tracy, Calif., on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022. I think it was toxic anyway, keeping all those emotions in. Guerrero sees her daughters legacy firsthand each time the Lifetime movie, A Girl Like Me: The Gwen Araujo Storyairs. Her loss has multiplied outside of the public eye in a system unequipped to support her. Yet the disability benefits she originally depended on were rejected in court. of SF politics and culture. Gwen Araujo's murder brought about several changes in California law. At the same time, Gwen's mother suffered from PTSD from the trial. ",[20] and the men with whom she had had sexual relations became enraged and violent. In life, Gwen dreamed of being a part of San Franciscos transgender community and its history. Brown grabbed Araujo's crotch during a confrontation in the bathroom and revealed she had male genitalia. The day after the mistrial, a judge grants a request by the mother of Gwen Araujo to legally change her name from Edward Araujo Jr. to Gwen Amber Rose Araujo. Gwen Araujos brutal death two decades ago drew international attention and prompted the passage of a law in her name, as well as a movie about her life. If they actually did know, then why did they kill her? NEWARK, Calif., -- The murder of Gwen Araujo in 2002 marked a turning point in the fight for transgender rights. Her mother released 17 butterflies in her memory. 2501 into law. Transgender activists attended the trial and condemned the strategy to blame Araujo for her own death. Neither defendants was convicted of a hate crime. Guerrero looked after her 10 younger siblings while her parents worked, getting them ready for school and packing their lunches. "My mom is stuck in her own grief," said Sunseri, who fought back tears about the impact Araujo's murder had on her mother. California Gov. On their way home, they purchased breakfast at a McDonald's drive-through window. The first trial started on April 14, 2004 and ended in a hung jury against Magidson, Merel and Cazares. Turn it off, turn it off, turn it off a male is repeating.. Why Are We Indifferent to Male Rape Victims. Know Your City! [7], Araujo came out as transgender in 1999 at the age of 14, and began using the name Gwen after her favorite musician, Gwen Stefani, but also went by Wendy and Lida. The four men were outside talking and smoking when Nabors asked, "Could this be a dude?" [55], On September 8, the jury announced that it had reached verdicts on two of the three defendants. "[15][24] Jos Merl became angry and struck her in the head with a can of food, denting the can and opening a cut on her head,[24] and then he struck her again with a frying pan. In high school, Gwen would regularly ask Guerrero to give her friends advice on their relationships and drama at school. How safe is your neighborhood? All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! Jaron Nabors. I dont have my nails done. This is the narrative that has persisted since shortly after Gwen's murder, but are there reasons to believe that this version of events isn't quite true? Prosecutors allege they beat and strangled Araujo, 17 -- who was born Edward Araujo but lived and identified as a young woman -- in the early morning hours of Oct. 4, 2002, before burying her body in the El Dorado National Forest in the Sierra foothills. At a vigil later that evening at the LGBT Center in San Francisco, advocated lamented the men were not convicted of first-degree murder but still called the verdict a huge victory for the transgender rights. This is where I sleep now, she said, pointing to the bare floor of her sons living room. The men would later claim during the tr. Guerrero remembers Araujo telling her, "I don't feel like a boy. [61][81], Michael Magidson said he was not ready for release at his parole board hearing in 2016, and his request for parole was also opposed by Guerrero. [8] According to The Start, Jogia was a student at Killarney Secondary School until age 17 when he left to pursue acting full-time, having already gained a number of small television credits. One of the many factors that parole boards consider is the impact on the victims family. The law, signed by Gov. He is expected to resume testimony Monday. On October 4, 2002, four young men brutally murdered a beautiful, 17-year-old transgender teenager named Gwen Araujo. [78][79][80] AB 2501 was introduced by Assemblywoman Susan A. Bonilla in partnership with Equality California. Immediately after, she appeared on talk shows and at events with her hair styled, wearing crisp button-downs and leather boots. Curating the best of The Standards top-notch reporting, every Saturday. [82], Gwen Araujo Memorial Transgender Education Fund. With credit for time served, he was expected to spend approximately five years in jail from that point on. Cazares and Nabors were also at the house, as was Paul Merl's girlfriend, Nicole Brown. She taught them how to pick wild blackberries and catch salmon from the creek by their house, a place still close to her heart. [30] Magidson hit her head against the living room wall with his knee, rendering her unconscious. [68] By 2005, Guerrero had spoken to more than 20 schools. | Olivia Cruz Mayeda/The Standard Guerrero always knew Gwen's relationship to her gender was different from other kids. Four men brutally murdered her. When Gwen was 8, Guerrero stopped her daughter as she was getting out of the car for school and asked her if she knew she was a boy. He took the stand Thursday afternoon -- his 21st birthday -- and described how, the first night he met Araujo that summer, he had gotten the "crazy idea" she might have been a man. [62] Attorney Gloria Allred represented Araujo's family. Just let her go. And was stuck 10-2 in favor of acquitting Jos Merl and Jason Cazares of the same charge. She was fearless, she was angry. She went on to say, "It feels like we lost our mom. If you or a loved one are experiencing a mental health crisis and need to connect with a qualified LGBTQ+ crisis responder. [15], On the night of October 3, 2002, Araujo attended a party at a house rented by Jos and Paul Merl,[18][19] attended by them, their younger brother Emmanuel Merl, Michael Magidson, Jaron Nabors, Jason Cazares, and Nicole Brown. Araujo was born with male genitalia but her immediate family noticed early on. Thats OK, Guerrero recalled saying. Court adjourned Thursday before Nabors could begin describing the night of the slaying. Get the support you need. Through this fund, Sylvia Guerrero and her family spoke in middle and high schools about transgender awareness and understanding. That friend tipped off the police, and agreed to wear a microphone during a subsequent conversation with Nabors about the murder. Writing is not a hobby, but a passion. Guerrero also knew her daughter had a drinking problem and brought up rehab. The second trial began on May 31, 2005. The civil rights leader made several notable appearances in the Bay Area, where he paved the way for future leaders like SFs first Black mayor, London Breed. Bevan Dufty is the lead organizer for Tuesdays event and has known Guerrero for years. Nabors testified that Magidson then strangled Araujo with a rope. For more than a decade after Gwens death, she spoke at events about her daughters murder and the struggle for trans rights at events, before taking a break of several years. Seventeen states now have bans on the use of gay and trans panic defenses. [25][26] The last words Merl heard Araujo speak were "I told you I was sorry. As they were burying her, the men continued to disparage her. Guerrero has been unable to return to work and now shuffles her belongings from relatives' houses using a borrowed car from her friend. My daughter in 2002 brought the trans community to the forefront, and changes began since then, said Guerrero, who returns to heractivism for the trans community with a speaking engagement in Fullerton next month. History of transgender people in the United States, History of violence against LGBT people in the United States, List of people killed for being transgender, "Two Guilty of Murder in Death of a Transgender Teenager", "Trying to Understand Eddie's Life and Death", "Slain Newark teen balanced between two worlds", "Case of slain transgender teen could go to a jury this week", "HAYWARD / Suspect's brother says he tried to aid Araujo / He testifies others blocked him from rescuing victim", "HAYWARD / Defense calls transgender victim guilty of 'deception and betrayal', "HAYWARD / Defense grills star witness in teen murder trial / 'You're lying,' lawyer says to man who pleaded guilty", "Guilty plea in transgender killing / Defendant makes deal, testifies against friends", "3 Are Charged In Death of Man Who Dressed Like a Woman", "One year since transgender teen's death / Gwen Araujo's family still struggling to cope", "HAYWARD / Witness tells of friends' anger at being duped / He says 2 were mad their sex partner was biologically male", "Witness tells how she learned transgender teen was male", "Slain teen's last night recounted / Witness testifies on events leading to killing of transgender youth", "HAYWARD / Transgender teen did nothing 'to deserve death' / But 1 accused killer said he vomited on finding she was male", "Man Testifies on His Role in Teen's Death", "Witness details slaying of transgender teenager", "Three sentenced to prison in Araujo slaying", "Attack Witnesses Unlikely to Face Criminal Charges", "11 years for defendant in Araujo killing", "Chilling time line of a killing / Death of transgender teen described in grisly detail", "Defendant says prosecution witness admitted killing Araujo", "3 Charged in Beating Death of Boy, 17, Who Lived as a Girl", "Man Pleads Not Guilty in Slaying of Transgender Bay Area Teenager", "Fourth Arrest Made in Transgender Killing", "Fourth Person Sought in Slaying Inquiry Is Found", "Accused: Araujo bargained for escape Preliminary hearing in death of transgender teen to end today (subscription needed)", "Defense attorney: Witness struck Gwen's fatal blow (subscription required)", "Slaying Victim's Mother Now Speaks Out Against Hate Crime", "Witness Unable to Testify About Transgender Teen's Slaying", "Accused killer was 'disgusted' that transgender teen was male", "NEWARK / Teen's death a crime of passion, defense says", "Final defendant testifies in Araujo murder trial", "Newark Transgender Teen Murder Verdicts Upheld", "2 Convicted of Murdering Transgender Teen", "HAYWARD / Manslaughter ruled out, Araujo juror says / 'Events devolved into brutal beating and homicide', "HAYWARD / Araujo case draws to close / Last defendant pleads no contest to avoid third trial", "Gwen Araujo murder 14 years later: Transgender teen's killers face parole", "Cazares plea brings Araujo trial to close", "Man Given 11 Years in Gwen Araujo's Death", "Mourners Overflow Funeral of Teen Allegedly Slain Over Sexual Identity", "Longtime trans activist says goodbye to TransVision", "SAN FRANCISCO / Transgender community feels joy, anger at Araujo verdict", "Fests go in for a piece of the action: Cinequest to distribute 'Ways of Men', "Ten years later, Araujo's murder resonates", "An act to amend Section 192 of the Penal Code, relating to manslaughter", "California Bans Gay and Trans Panic Defense", "Assemblymember Bonilla and Equality California Introduce Bill to Ban "Panic Defense" Strategy as a Courtroom Tactic by Murder Defendants", "Online Extra: Parole denied for killer of Bay Area transgender teen", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Murder_of_Gwen_Araujo&oldid=1133311118, American victims of anti-LGBT hate crimes, Deaths by strangulation in the United States, Articles with dead external links from September 2010, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using embedded infobox templates with the title parameter, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. The elderly woman was a victim of recent storms. Police and the family referred to Araujo by her birth name, Eddie, a practice now discouraged, called deadnaming. [7] Besides English, Jogia speaks some Gujarati and French. [51] Magidson, Merl, and Cazares were charged with first-degree murder with hate-crime enhancements.[52]. Here's what happened to Gwen Araujo, a transgender teen from the San Francisco Bay Area. At one point, he said, he saw Magidson choking Araujo and pulled Magidson's arm off the victim. Gwens murder played no small part inthe ongoing movement against trans violence and forequality and understanding, said Isa Noyola of theTransgender Law Center. We might permanently block any user who abuses these conditions. HAYWARD / Witness tells of friends' anger at being duped / He HAYWARD / Araujo begged for mercy, witness says, THIS IS A HANDOUT IMAGE. Here's what happened to Bay Area trans teen Gwen Araujo. Sunseri said. In 2010, then-Gov. I never heard of the word transgender until she died.". He walked alone to a 7- Eleven store, bought a pack of gum and went to a friend's house to spend the night, he said. In 2005, California Gov. In court, two of the men who strangled, beat and buried the trans teenager claimed gay panic.. Michael Magidson told a parole board on Wednesday that he wasnt ready for release. Araujo also became an inspiration in the transgender community. Police arrest a fourth suspect in Araujo's murder, Jason Cazares. [7] Rumors reached her family that a girl who had been outed as transgender at a party had been killed and buried in Tahoe,[7] and her aunt called the police on October 9 to pass on the story. Below is a timeline of how Gwen's life and death unfolded. The case became a rallying cry for transgender rights. Years later, Jerry Brown signed legislation as governor that banned the defense strategy altogether. San Mateo County could soon expand direct cash payments to some of its poorest residents, Pittsburg could soon see road and school crosswalk improvements, Opinion: What I learned about myself at the Richard Nixon Library, USC uses defense to upset No. And if you or anyone you know is being bullied, call the Transgender Law Center for help at 415-865-0176. [2] He was killed by four men, two of whom he had been sexually intimate with while pretending to be female, who beat and strangled him after discovering that he was actually a biological male. Fred Phelps and the members of Phelps's Westboro Baptist Church promised to picket the funeral,[36] but did not.,[64] there were people there that picket with signs but friends wore angel wings to block casket from signs. NEWARK, Calif., -- The murder of Gwen Araujo in 2002 marked a turning point in the fight for transgender rights. Charges against Paul Merel were dropped the following day. At the sentencing, Merl apologized to Araujo's family but Magidson did not show any remorse. [69] The fund was closed sometime before September 2020. In her death, she has literally saved thousands of lives. Guerrero said. Only charge for Nabors. I feel like a freak.". Gwen Araujo was a transgender teenager from the SF Bay Area who was killed 20 years ago by men who claimed they were deceived by her sexual identity. Some call her mom., She didnt die in vain. "[54], During the closing statements of the second trial, Cazares' defense lawyer Tony Serra argued that the three defendants were "ordinary human beings" who were guilty, at most, of manslaughter for their role in the death in a "classic state of heat and passion". Watch the ABC7 Originals documentary, "Being Gwen: A Life and Death Story," streaming now in the video player below. Gwen Araujo was a 17-year-old transgender teenager who lived in Newark, Calif. with her mother, Sylvia Guerrero. We still have a long way to go, because people like Gwen are still being murdered for whothey are and theresfamilies who are suffering like we are, said Guerrero, 52. She was killed 20 years ago. Over the course of the trial, defense attorney Tony Serra, who represented Jason Cazares, attacked the credibility of Jaron Nabors, whom he accused of being the primary aggressor and blaming his friends for the murder. In her death, shes allowed me to see how much I took for granted, Guerrero said. The 17-year-old from the San Francisco Bay Area was punched, beaten and. Transgender activists educated the family about what it means to be transgender and the proper use of pronouns. She lost her job and suffers from post-traumatic stress. [31] Merl was concerned with cleaning Araujo's blood off the couch[30] and carpet before retreating to his room so the others would not see him crying.[23]. [34], One of the jurors wrote a newspaper article after the mistrial; in it, he credited Cazares's defense attorney, Tony Serra, with introducing enough reasonable doubt about the veracity of the prosecution's witnesses, including both Brown (who had admitted to consuming more than a dozen beers that night) and Nabors (who was characterized as a liar and "chameleon", prone to exaggeration and eager to please in every social situation). Guerrero grew up with zero knowledge of gender outside the binary. Before Gwens death, Guerrero was a legal assistant and had a 401(k) pension account. Fred Phelps and the members of Phelps's Westboro Baptist Church ( who also made an appearance in our last article) promised to picket the funeral but thankfully did not. Guerreros communityalong with members of the LGBTQ+ communityhas rallied to help support her, raising almost $25,000 to help her pay her bills over the last seven years. She wasnt mad. The defense maintains Araujo tricked the defendants into sexual relations.
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