2501 into law. Araujo was born with male genitalia but her immediate family noticed early on. Cherished brother to Pearl and Jesus Serrano of CA, Rachel Araujo of Bakersfield, Brandon Guerrero-Bacot of Newark and Michael West of Newark. 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. "It is for this witness' safety," Sheppard said, during a meeting with journalists in his office. She went on to say, "It feels like we lost our mom. Guerrero grew up with zero knowledge of gender outside the binary. Sylvia Guerrero had never even heard the word transgender until her 17-year-olddaughter Gwen Araujo, born a son named Eddie, was brutally murdered. She just wanted to jump into the crowd.. She left me with no filter, too. In announcing the bill's introduction they cited the murder of Araujo and the 2008 murder of gay California teen Larry King. He is expected to resume testimony Monday. The other two defendants pleaded guilty or no-contest to voluntary manslaughter. Trans people are being killed in record numbers. LGBTQ+ resources are available: abc7news.com/TakeAction, JetBlue plane bumps into another aircraft in JFK Airport's gate area, Father, son accused of animal cruelty after 26 cats found in LI home, NYC confronts the problem of unlicensed smoke shops. [Gwen] lived every day of her life yearning and longing to be a girl in every sense of the word, so if anyone who didn't know her made her feel that way, why would she reveal that she is transgender? She says she is excited to return to actively working on the cause. Araujo was born with male genitalia but her immediate family noticed early on that she identified more easily with being a girl than a boy. But the murder of Gwen Araujo is still important today. [61], Jos Merl was granted parole in 2016 with the support of Sylvia Guerrero. If you or a loved one are experiencing a mental health crisis and need to connect with a qualified LGBTQ+ crisis responder. Gwen Araujo was a 17-year-old transgender teenager who lived in Newark, Calif. with her mother, Sylvia Guerrero. Publicity by transgender activists was credited with informing the public about the tactics the defense lawyers had adopted to blame Araujo for her own death, changing the approach to the case. Araujo's mom reports her missing to police. [23] Merl also said he thought she was still alive until he saw her body in the bed of Magidson's truck. Only 17 years old at the time of her death, today Gwen would be a 27-year-old young woman had her life not been brutally taken by four men who discovered she was born male. In 2005, California Gov. I never heard of the word transgender until she died.". 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. Nabors later testified that Jos Merl said that night, "I swear, if it's a f man, I'm gonna kill him. The 17-year-old from the San Francisco Bay Area was punched, beaten and. [78][79] The law further restricted the use of the gay/trans panic defense by amending California's manslaughter statute to prohibit defendants from claiming that they were provoked to murder by discovering a victim's sexual orientation or gender identity. They viciously beat and strangled Gwento death at a Newark house party on Oct. 4,2002, after they confirmed she was biologically male. [15][16], Nicole Brown, who was dating Paul Merl (Jos's older brother) and was acquainted with Araujo, said that she and Araujo had engaged in a physical fight after Brown challenged Araujo to strip for the men. I feel like a freak.". Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the Gwen Araujo Justice for Victims Act into law, challenging the gay/trans panic defense used by her killers to lessen their culpability. Merel, who has expressed remorse from the beginning, admitted Friday that back then he felt more sorry for himself. [29], Before the first trial, the prosecuting attorney, Alameda County deputy district attorney Chris Lamiero argued that simply being transgender should not have been a death sentence:[44]. EDWARD 'GWEN' ARAUJO, JR. Of Newark entered into rest Thursday, October 3, 2002. Still, there have been nearly 25slayings of transgender people in the United States so far in 2016 alone, according to Noyola, including the killing of Brandi Bledsoe in Cleveland last week. Morbidology Podcast The article continues below Morbidology is a weekly true crime podcast created and hosted by Emily G. Thompson. Get the support you need. Gwen Araujo is born to Sylvia Guerrero and Edward Araujo. but none of the four men took the thought seriously. One night Gwen decided to go to a nearby house party. [55], On September 8, the jury announced that it had reached verdicts on two of the three defendants. [17], In the early morning hours of October 4, Magidson asked Araujo to reveal her sex or allow him to touch her genitals, which she refused. They are 22-year-old Michael Magidson, 22-year-old Jos Merl, 22-year-old Jason Cazares, and 19-year-old and Jaron Nabors. Police arrested Jose Merel and Magidson, who was accused of strangling Araujo. Here's what happened to Gwen Araujo, a transgender teen from the San Francisco Bay Area. Gwen Araujo was beaten to death by a group of men, two of them ex-lovers of hers, when they found out she used to be a he. Nabors testified that he stated he "couldn't believe that someone would ever do that, would be that deceitful" and that Jos Merl added "he was so mad he could still kick her a couple more times". [2] She was murdered by four men, two of whom she had been sexually intimate with, who beat and strangled her after discovering that she was transgender. A comprehensive rundown Guerrero has survived in part from a GoFundMe page that raises donations on her behalf. Her face lit up, said Lopez, who came out to Gwen in high school. Nabors and Cazares urged the others to "knock the b out", according to Nabors's testimony. 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In 2010, then-Gov. [75], In September 2014, California Governor Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill No. She lost her job as a legal assistant and ended up losing her home. Nabors was initially charged with murder, too, but he agreed to testify against his friends in exchange for an 11-year sentence. 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. "[14], The first trial ended in a mistrial on June 22 following nine days of deliberations, when the jurors were unable to reach a unanimous decision for the three men. The messages offer a glimpse into the government crackdown that spurred a UN probe into human rights abuses. Nabors testified that Magidson then strangled Araujo with a rope. The jury is unable to reach a guilty verdict and the judge declares mistrial. He pleaded to involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 11 years in prison. Jose Merel, 36, was granted parole on Friday with the support of Guerrero, pending a review from the Board of Parole Hearings and Gov. What Araujo did not know was that these four had already suspected that she was trans, and . [15][21][22][25] Araujo begged the men to stop, saying "No, please don't. Later, when asked why he hadn't done something more to push Araujo out of the doorway, Emmanuel Merel answered, "I gave in. 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. Like the little flowers on the side of the freeway that no one notices. She lost her job and suffers from post-traumatic stress. I always have.. The men would later claim during the trial that they were driven to a fit of rage after learning that Gwen, who two of the men had slept with, was biologically male. During Magidson's testimony, a tape of his initial interview with the police was shown, in which an investigator was recorded coaching him to use the trans panic defense: "You'd be surprised. At the same time, Gwen's mother suffered from PTSD from the trial. Nicole Brown, Paul Merl and Emmanual Merl left the house while Araujo was still bleeding in the living room. The two -- Michael W. Magidson and Jose A. Merel, both 25 -- were found guilty of second-degree murder for the death of Gwen Araujo, who was born as a male named Eddie Araujo Jr., but who . At age 14, Eddie tells his mom that he feels like a girl trapped in a boy's body. Magidson also testified and under cross-examination said he received oral sex from Araujo the night she was killed. 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Araujo surprised her with a strong blow during the fight, and Brown said the men "were tripping, because she was smaller than me and just as strong. AB 2501 became the first state law in the nation to prohibit the use of the "gay panic" or "trans panic" defenses. A month before Gwens murder, Guerrero decided to talk to Gwen about her future. I dont have my nails done. The men had claimed a gay/trans panic, a murder defense later made illegal in California in Gwens name with the help of Guerreros activism. [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. Araujo had been hogtied, bludgeoned, strangled to death, and then transported to the remote location to be buried beneath rocks in a shallow grave, The Mercury News reported. [52] Serra also argued that Cazares took no active role in killing her. 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. Make Muse | For Smart + Creative Young Women. Araujo was killed at a house party 14 years ago . She was insistent that the justice system would not ignore or betray her daughter.. Sunseri said. [30] Magidson hit her head against the living room wall with his knee, rendering her unconscious. [13][14] She claimed to be menstruating and during sex would push her partners' hands away from her genitalia to prevent them from discovering that she had a penis. age: 17 yrs 7 mos 7 days ~~~ Edward Gwen Araujo, Jr. of Newark entered into rest Thursday, October 3, 2002. [24][25] He then proceeded to punch her in the face, knocking her to the ground, and put her in a chokehold, but he was pulled off by others. He said that he didnt understand the depths of what he had done until his own daughter, who was gravely disabled, died in 2011, said Alameda County Assistant District Attorney Jill Klinge. [30] After this, the defendants' testimonies diverge. By this time, Araujo's mother was able to legally change her daughter's name to Gwen Amber Rose Araujo. [23] It is not clear at what point during this sequence of events she died. "[59], Michael Magidson and Jos Merl were sentenced in January to 15 years to life in prison, for second-degree murder. Get the support you need. [17] After half an hour, during which Jos Merl later confessed he had sex with Araujo, Brown went to the bathroom, where she discovered Araujo had male genitalia during a forced inspection. 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. The Civic Remembrance and call to action for Gwen Araujo will be held Tuesday, Oct. 4, from 4-6 p.m. at San Francisco Main Librarys Koret Auditorium. Seventeen states now have bans on the use of gay and trans panic defenses. Arnold Schwarzenegger signs the Gwen Araujo Justice for Victims Act. [25][26] The last words Merl heard Araujo speak were "I told you I was sorry. I went to high school with you, and you were on the football team. Nabors takes police to the site where they buried Araujo's body. The fund's purpose was to support school-based programs in the nine-county Bay Area that promote understanding of transgender people and issues through annual grants. Sylvia is the mother of Gwen Araujo. Below is a timeline of how Gwen's life and death unfolded. Araujo was eventually strangled to death with a rope, tied up and taken by four of the men -- Jose Merel, Magidson, Cazares and Nabors -- in the back of a pickup truck to a camping area in the El Dorado National Forest where they buried her body. It was raining. A recent family photograph shows Eddie Araujo holding his niece Arianna. Check out Bay Area safety tracker, Bay Area Life; Sundays at 6:30 p.m. on ABC7, How the murder of transgender teenager Gwen Araujo unfolded. [9], On the first anniversary of the murder, Horizons Foundation created the Gwen Araujo Memorial Fund for Transgender Education. Stuff like that. While Merl expressed deep sorrow and regret to Araujo's family, Magidson was angry about his verdict and expressed "no remorse" for his role in murdering Araujo, according to presiding Judge Harry Sheppard. She wasnt mad. Bevan Dufty is the lead organizer for Tuesdays event and has known Guerrero for years. But her murder is still important today. The story of Gwen's life has been celebrated and kept alive . Ive always loved San Francisco, Guerrero said. Michael Magidson told a parole board on Wednesday that he wasnt ready for release. Defendants could not claim they were provoked into committing a murder because of the victim's gender identity or sexual orientation. Ciara-Kiona Purvis September 11, 2022 Interpersonal Communication A Girl Like Me: The Gwen Araujo Story A Girl Like Me: The Gwen Araujo story is based on a true story. Transgender activists educated the family about what it means to be transgender and the proper use of pronouns. A psychologist called by the defense tells the jury that a young man is likely to panic and overreact with violence if he finds out that a woman he was sexually intimate with turns out to be biologically male. At one point, he said, he saw Magidson choking Araujo and pulled Magidson's arm off the victim. [10], The first trial began on April 14, 2004. "[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. [30], Nabors received an 11-year sentence on August 25, 2006. The ABC7 Originals documentary, "Being Gwen: A Life and Death Story," focuses on the struggles she faced early in life, her gender transition as a young teenager, and the tragic events in October 2002 that led to her death. 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. Merl testified that Nabors was responsible for the major head injuries to Araujo, but supported the assertion that Magidson had strangled her. She frequently encounters psychological triggers that derail her days. An estimated 3,000 marched from Dolores Park to Civic Center where a rally was held. A driverless Waymo vehicle nearly drove itself right into a trench at a San Francisco construction site, an Instagram video posted Friday shows. All Rights Reserved. Jerry Brown. She lives in this prison in her own mind.". Araujo's funeral is held at St. Edward's Catholic Church in Newark. 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. Dufty was elected as a supervisor in San Francisco a few months after Gwens murder and witnessed the community organizing that followed. California Gov. In her death, she has literally saved thousands of lives. Guerrero said. Guerrero became an advocate for transgender rights. But, at the time, she didn't comprehend the change Araujo was going through. [22] Brown testified that she warned Araujo that the men were "very angry", but upon exiting through the front door, Araujo was confronted and forced back inside the house by Magidson, Nabors, and Cazares. [68] By 2005, Guerrero had spoken to more than 20 schools. This is the life and death story of 17-year-old Gwen Araujo. One of those friends was Daisy Bernal, whom Guerrero took in for three years when she was 16. Gwen Araujo was a 17-year-old transgender woman from Newark, California. Sylvia honors Gwen, and transgender victims of hate crimes everywhere, by speaking out. Gwen was a vibrant transgender teenager who was murdered in Newark, California in October 2002. of SF politics and culture. "My first impression of her was that she wasn't shy at all," Nabors said. [34] Confronted with the recording, Nabors agreed to lead authorities to the body[30] on October 15. And poor eight-year-old Noah is growing up in the midwest Bible belt . In high school, Gwen would regularly ask Guerrero to give her friends advice on their relationships and drama at school. Gwen Araujo was born on February 24, 1985, in Brawley, California, to Edward Araujo and Sylvia Guerrero. Beto Lopez, Gwens childhood friend, remembered sneaking out of the house in their hometown of Newark to go to San Francisco Pride with Gwen in 2000. Under cross-examination, Emmanuel Merel said he had gone to the police two weeks after the slaying because police had wrongly arrested Paul Merel for the crime. a GoFundMe page that raises donations on her behalf. She was calm about it.. Araujo attended a party at the house Jos Merl shared with his younger brother, Manny, and his older brother Paul, who also had previously engaged in sexual acts with Gwen. In the fall of 2002, Araujo met Michael Magidson, 22, who invited her to hang out with his friends. Then while Araujo was in the bathroom, Brown went inside, grabbed her crotch, and reportedly shouted to the group, "It's a man.". This is a carousel. Merl refused to answer the prosecutor's questions about how Araujo died. I feel like he forced them into homosexual sex, and my definition of rape was being forced into sex." I have a family. | Olivia Cruz Mayeda/The Standard Guerrero always knew Gwen's relationship to her gender was different from other kids. Through this fund, Sylvia Guerrero and her family spoke in middle and high schools about transgender awareness and understanding. 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Construction site, an Instagram video posted Friday shows a mental health crisis and need to connect with a LGBTQ+. Trans panic defenses Edward & # x27 ; Araujo, born a son named,... The football team to her gender was different from other kids [ 25 ] [ ]! Flowers on the side of the murder of Araujo and Sylvia Guerrero and Araujo. Were provoked into committing a murder because of the freeway that no one notices 2008!