Man Convicted in Transgender Woman’s Killing in First Federal Trial of Its Kind

You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load. Prosecutors said the man was upset that word about his sexual relationship with the victim, Dime Doe, were circulating in a South Carolina town.- Dime Doe in an undated selfie. […]

T Kauer T Kauer
Feb 25, 2024 - 07:15
Man Convicted in Transgender Woman’s Killing in First Federal Trial of Its Kind

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Prosecutors said the man was upset that word about his sexual relationship with the victim, Dime Doe, were circulating in a South Carolina town.-

A close-up photo of Dime Doe, who is looking into the camera and smiling.
Dime Doe in an undated selfie. A jury on Friday convicted Daqua Lameek Ritter in the 2019 killing of Ms. Doe, a transgender woman.Credit…Dime Doe family, via Associated Press

A South Carolina man was found guilty on Friday in the killing of a transgender woman in what the authorities said was the first federal murder trial of someone charged with a hate crime based on gender identity.

After deliberating for several hours, jurors found the man, Daqua Lameek Ritter, guilty of a hate crime in the murder of the woman, Dime Doe, in 2019.

“It stands as a testament to our commitment to prosecute these crimes,” said Brook Andrews, the first assistant United States attorney for the District of South Carolina. “It also stands as a reminder that Dime’s life mattered. It’s a tremendous result for us and the people in that community.”

Federal officials have previously prosecuted hate crimes based on gender identity.

A Mississippi man received a 49-year prison sentence in 2017 as part of a plea deal after he admitted to killing a 17-year-old transgender woman. However, this is the first murder case in the country to make it to trial where someone was charged with a hate crime based on gender identity, Mr. Andrews said.

Image

The first federal murder trial involving a hate crime based on gender identity concluded on Friday at the Matthew J. Perry Courthouse in Columbia, S. C.Credit…James Pollard/Associated Press

Mr. Ritter, who was also found guilty of obstructing justice and using a firearm in connection with the killing, faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole. A sentencing date has not been scheduled.

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