Although they were given the option of convicting the men of second-degree murder or manslaughter, they were unable to proceed past the first-degree murder deliberations. [39][40][41] At the first trial, defense attorney Tony Serra accused Nabors of writing the letter knowing it would be intercepted and implicate Cazares. In the fall of 2002, Araujo met Michael Magidson, 22, who invited her to hang out with his friends. California Gov. This is the life and death story of 17-year-old Gwen Araujo. Stuff like that. Justice for Araujo was delayed. I was not perfect, Guerrero said, reflecting on that moment decades later. "[20] Brown said the four men were out at a club together and did not return to the house until after midnight. All Rights Reserved. Cherished brother to Pearl and Jesus Serrano of C Gwens murder and Guerreros advocacy have led to legislative change. 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. Copyright 2023 KGO-TV. The law, signed by Gov. Guerrero looked after her 10 younger siblings while her parents worked, getting them ready for school and packing their lunches. How safe is your neighborhood? [8], Araujo first met Michael Magidson, Jos Merl, Jaron Nabors, and Jason Cazares in late August or early September 2002. [52] Serra also argued that Cazares took no active role in killing her. Nabors testified that Magidson then strangled Araujo with a rope. During the trial, the defense maintained that Araujo deceived the men into non-consensual sex by not revealing her biological gender and that the men reacted out of rage when they killed her. Magidson was called out for being unrepentant at his sentencing and still has not shown remorse, according to Guerrero. Sylvia Guerrero had never even heard the word transgender until her 17-year-olddaughter Gwen Araujo, born a son named Eddie, was brutally murdered. Noyola said she remembers it as mostly non-trans people, a handful of folks, angry and grieving over Gwens murder. One of the many factors that parole boards consider is the impact on the victims family. [8][13] According to Merl, Magidson said he was not sure she was dead until they struck her with a shovel. In her third year of living as a woman, Araujo began hanging out with several men that she met in the late summer of 2002. LGBTQ+ resources are available: abc7news.com/TakeAction. Also at the gathering were Paul's girlfriend, Nicole Brown, and friends Jason Cazares, 22, and Jaron Nabors, 19. The 17-year-old from the San Francisco Bay Area was beaten, punched and eventually choked to death when several men discovered she was a transgender woman. To avoid a third trial, Cazares' lawyer reached an agreement with prosecutors for a manslaughter conviction. Jason Cazares struck a deal with prosecutors to avoid a third trial and accepted a six-year prison sentence for involuntary manslaughter. Transgender activists educated the family about what it means to be transgender and the proper use of pronouns. The younger brother of one of three men accused of killing a Newark transgender teen testified Thursday that he had tried to rescue Gwen Araujo but had been stopped by one of the men and the. Araujo usually checked in with her mother, so when she did not come home the day after the party, her mother called the police on October 5 to report her missing. Jose Merel hit her in the head with a frying pan and a can of soup. Nabors was initially charged with murder, too, but he agreed to testify against his friends in exchange for an 11-year sentence. One night Gwen decided to go to a nearby house party. Police arrest a fourth suspect in Araujo's murder, Jason Cazares. ", HAYWARD / Suspect's brother says he tried to aid Araujo / He testifies others blocked him from rescuing victim. I cant afford it.. "My first impression of her was that she wasn't shy at all," Nabors said. Nabors described how Araujo had locked lips with all four of the men that night to blow marijuana smoke into their mouths in what he described as a "power hit." At least 48 trans people were killed in 2021, making it the deadliest year for transgender people in the United States, where the majority of victims are Black and Latinx. Trans people are being killed in record numbers. "[59], Michael Magidson and Jos Merl were sentenced in January to 15 years to life in prison, for second-degree murder. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. If you or a loved one are experiencing a mental health crisis and need to connect with a qualified LGBTQ+ crisis responder. [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, often called a woman, was really just a 90-pound girl withno chance against the four drunken youngmen, including two who had been sexually intimate with her, Guerrero said. Guerrero is the mother of slain transgender teen Gwen Araujo, 17, of Newark. Police arrested Jose Merel and Magidson, who was accused of strangling Araujo. One can debate the propriety of one choosing to identify with a gender other than the one they were born with. Guerrero has survived in part from a GoFundMe page that raises donations on her behalf. The other two, Jaron Nabors and Jason Cazares, took plea bargains to voluntary manslaughter. Late in the night, the men demanded that Araujo drop her pants to prove she was not a man. This is a carousel. [23] Merl also said he thought she was still alive until he saw her body in the bed of Magidson's truck. [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. I was treated differently when I was wearing my business clothes to now that Im in shorts and have no money, Guerrero said, waving her hand over her figure. Araujo's funeral is held at St. Edward's Catholic Church in Newark. In announcing the bill's introduction they cited the murder of Araujo and the 2008 murder of gay California teen Larry King. (AP Photo/Anda Chu, Pool) POOL PHOTO, Defendant Jose Merel listens to the testimony of his younger brother, Emmanuel Merel, during Jose Merel's murder trial in Alameda Superior Court on Thursday, April 21, 2004, in Hayward, Calif. Emmanuel Merel testified that he tried to push Eddie "Gwen" Araujo that he tried to push her out the door to safety in the chaos that followed the discovery that she was biologically male. Police and the family referred to Araujo by her birth name, Eddie, a practice now discouraged, called deadnaming. Merl testified that Nabors was responsible for the major head injuries to Araujo, but supported the assertion that Magidson had strangled her. HANDOUT PHOTO ALSO RAN 10/22/02, 11/19/02, 12/22/02, 10/4/2003, Emmanuel Merel, the younger brother of defendant Jose Merel, testifies in the Eddie "Gwen" Araujo murder trial in Alameda Superior Court Thursday, April 21, 2004, in Hayward, Calif. Emmanuel testified that he tried to push the teenager out the door to safety in the chaos that followed the discovery of Araujo's gender. [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 had met her walking in the middle of the street, drinking a beer. [8] She began to grow her hair long and planned to undergo hormone treatment and surgery. Emmanuel Merel said he later had left the house with his older brother, Paul Merel, and the brother's girlfriend, Nicole Brown. He is expected to resume testimony Monday. All Rights Reserved. Vigils and marches seeking justice for Araujo were held in several San Francisco Bay Area cities. We might permanently block any user who abuses these conditions. Because a city this offbeat deserves a newsletter with some The jury deadlocked 10-2 in favor of acquitting Cazares and Merel of first-degree murder. ". [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. Gwensmurder spurred the first Trans March in 2003. [75][76][77] The law put California on record as declaring it contrary to public policy for defendants to be acquitted or convicted of a lesser included offense on the basis of appeals to "societal bias". Deputy District Attorney Chris Lamiero announced he will seek a second trial. Guerrero has been unable to return to work and now shuffles her belongings from relatives' houses using a borrowed car from her friend. Merl refused to answer the prosecutor's questions about how Araujo died. 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. That friend tipped off the police, and agreed to wear a microphone during a subsequent conversation with Nabors about the murder. A month before Gwens murder, Guerrero decided to talk to Gwen about her future. NEWARK19E-C-18OCT02-MT-HO [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. Investigators got Nabors' friend to wear a wire and record Nabors talking about the murder. 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. The men became suspicious that Araujo was not biologically female because she did not let them touch her genitalia. She held her gaze as tears welled in her eyes. The case was also the subject of a 2007 documentary, An episode of the Investigation Discovery channel series, This page was last edited on 13 January 2023, at 04:32. Nabors took the stand under tight security. [63] Cazares asked to begin serving his sentence after the birth of his third child, scheduled for March or April 2006, which was granted,[53] although Lamiero noted "it's difficult for me to entertain a request like that when Gwen Araujo is dead". Edward "Gwen" Araujo, Jr. of Newark entered into rest Thursday, October 3, 2002. Sylvia Guerrero had never heard the word transgender until four men murdered her daughter. Only charge for Nabors. [30] Magidson hit her head against the living room wall with his knee, rendering her unconscious. Gwen Araujo murder 14 years later: Transgender, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), ACE train service cancelled after more mudslides at Niles Canyon, Gwen Araujo murder 14 years later: Transgender teens killers face parole. Guerrero has few possessions at this point, but she holds on to the lessons Gwen taught her. She transferred to an alternative high school, but did not return for the 200203 academic year. Her older sister, Pearl Sunseri, said Araujo let her hair grow out and started to wear makeup. Over the course of the teens life, Guerrero learned how to better support her daughter in a transphobic world. If you or a loved one are experiencing a mental health crisis and need to connect with a qualified LGBTQ+ crisis responder. A year after Araujo's death, her mother accepts an award from the Horizons Foundation to speak at local schools and promote a better understanding of transgender people. She was killed 20 years ago. [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. Four months later, the jury found Magidson and Merel guilty of second-degree murder. Loves the Beach. [37][38] Cazares had been identified as a potential witness on October 22. One of the defense attorneys explained the last question had specifically asked if prospective jurors had watched the film Boys Don't Cry or the play The Laramie Project, but was changed over defense concerns that by being so specific, those who had not would be prompted to watch them. Nabors said Cazares and Magidson had first brought Araujo, whom the group knew as an attractive 19-year-old named "Lida," to the Merel home in late August or early September 2002. Merel, who has expressed remorse from the beginning, admitted Friday that back then he felt more sorry for himself. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! Initial coverage by several news media outlets described the victim as a cross-dressing man. "[15] According to Nabors, Magidson added "I don't know what I'm going to do", and Nabors replied, "Whatever you do, make sure you don't make a mess. [12] Magidson, Nabors, and Jos Merl were charged with murder on October 17 and held without bail. She frequently encounters psychological triggers that derail her days. She was calm about it.. They also deadlocked 7-5 in favor of convicting Magidson of first-degree murder. Nabors agreed to testify against his friends in exchange for a reduced manslaughter charge. If they actually did know, then why did they kill her? [48] During his testimony, Nabors said he felt his friends had been raped, since Araujo (whom he referred to as male) "did not come clean with being what he really was. Nicole Brown, Paul Merl and Emmanual Merl left the house while Araujo was still bleeding in the living room. Gwen Araujo was a 17-year-old transgender woman from Newark, California. 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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 . [20] Brown suggested that one of them should inspect Araujo, and Magidson took Araujo to the bathroom. People are going to be hard on you, and its not going to be easy. Copyright 2023 KGO-TV. She got a grant from the Horizons Foundation to speak at schools about what it is like to raise a transgender child and the challenges transgender youth face in society. Loving son to Sylvia Guerrero of Newark and Edward Araujo of Brawley. Eddie then began transitioning as a woman and called herself Gwen, after her favorite singer Gwen Stefani. Seventeen states now have bans on the use of gay and trans panic defenses. "I didn't understand. By early morning on Oct. 4, the men questioned Araujo and demanded to know if she is biologically male. She lives in this prison in her own mind.". Gwen Amber Rose Araujo was a teenager who lived in Newark, California. [23], She was then placed in the bed of a pick-up truck, and the four men drove her body four hours away, burying her near the Sierra Nevada mountains in a shallow grave in the El Dorado National Forest near Silver Fork Road in El Dorado County. 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. She lost her job and suffers from post-traumatic stress. The 17-year-old from the San Francisco Bay Area was punched, beaten and. At age 14, Eddie tells his mom that he feels like a girl trapped in a boy's body. The four who were initially arrested and accused of the murder were Magidson (age 22); Nabors (19), Jos Merl (22), and Paul Merl. Michael Magidson and Jos Merl were sentenced to 15 years to life for killing Gwen Araujo. Feb. 24, 1985At age 14, Eddie tells his mom that he feels like a girl trapped in a boy's body. 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. Her depression, anxiety and PTSD are so debilitating, Guerrero hasnt been able to find a full-time job. She is born with male genitalia and raised as a boy by her family, who call her Eddie. Memorial for Gwen Araujo Gwen Araujo was mourned in a public funeral at St. Edwards Catholic Church in Newark on October 25, 2002. The messages offer a glimpse into the government crackdown that spurred a UN probe into human rights abuses. "[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. As she struggles to heal and support herself, Guerrero has also found a deep appreciation for the impact of Gwens life. [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. She was loving, vibrant, and beautiful. She says she is excited to return to actively working on the cause. When asked how she forced them, Nabors answered, "Through deception. [8], The Alameda County Sheriff's Office dispatched four crime scene investigators and two detectives to recover Araujo's body from the grave site.
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