Yesterday I was reading Michael Musto's blog and saw this item about a brutal murder in Cayey, Puerto Rico. Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado was found decapitated, dismembered and burned. As you can well imagine the gay community in Puerto Rico is enraged. There has been an arrest made by the police. The police are themselves under scrutiny because of an alleged remark made by a detective that the victim deserved his fate because of his 'lifestyle.' Horrible story and I pray that this killer is brought to justice.Update: Click here
Information on the Vigil is here
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21 comments:
A horrible story indeed. Anthony, was wondering whether or not you have an update on the Mikey saga. Heard the arrest was made, and an explanation given that it was gay panic, and the perpetrator got a sentence of one year. Thanks for keeping us posted.
Brien
NY
Once again, a confessed murderer is using the "gay card" to excuse his crime. The accused said he thought the deceased (he was a transvestite) was a woman only to find out he was really a man once they were alone in killer's house.
The accused man (25 y.o.) said that the incident brought back memories of sexual abuse that he had suffered when he was once in jail. He said he "lost his mind," and killed the victim. Then he cut off the head, arms, and legs from the torso and drove to another town where he dumped the remains on the side of a road and tried to burn them. It's one thing to kill someone but to dismember the corpse is sick. Of course, the deceased can not say anything in his own defense. If this is not a hate crime, then I don't know what is!
From Puerto Rico,
Rafael
#2 Plus what worries him is not that he has killed steven, what worries him is that people might think that he is gay.
This is just incomprehensible. What does one do to incite such hate/rage?! A 19 tear old is simply living his life, and exploring, searching for their truth. What kind of animals could do this? So one suspect has been apprehended, there has to be others involved. Let's just pray that the officials in PR step up to the plate and make an example of these animals. So there can be justice for us ALL.
Jose Serrano, one of three Puerto Ricans elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, asked local authorities in PR to try this case as a hate crime. He offered FBI assistance to help collect the evidence in order to win a conviction. Obviously, Serrano knows how biased most hispanic courts are when it comes to cases where gays are victimized and he wants a conviction in this one!
This is a tragic murder and whom ever is responsible should be delt with swiftly in a court of law.To dis-menber this young man body is just barbiac, what in God's name was he thinking??This fabercatated lie of bringing back bad memories of childhood is nonthing more than a bunch of lies and crap.He needs to be given a trial with the laws that apply to hate crime being taken too the full max of consideration.MY deepest Sympathy go out to this young mans family and freinds. What a needless loss of life, just breaks one's heart to hear such things of this nature still happening in 2009.I read the story in the newspapaer and it also sounds like there is double standards within the police dept. there has well.This too needs to be addressed by the "police Chief".Not a good sign if negative commets were made by one of the investigating police officers, about this victum and his murder.
I watched a report on this on Univisión, and there was footage of the murderer being led away in handcuffs. The weird thing is that his eyebrows looked so plucked and arched that I initially assumed that he was a drag queen out of drag.
I just saw MOC photo of this young man's body, I fell into to tears. I can not accept how brutal a death he suffered for being himself. I am 60 , vietnam war vet (they only wanted to know if my heart beat to be in the Marine Corps then), taught for 35 years retired, work with men coming out of prison in AA, and I had to cry over this beautiful child, Bob
The human remains pictured in MOC are of several people and not those of the young man killed in Puerto Rico whose body parts were also partially burned. I believe that they were posted only for shock effect and are in very poor
taste. May he rest in peace.
Is it true that the murderer of Mikey only got 1 year? Say it no be true!!
Mikey's alleged killer got what is called here one-year "preventive custody." Meaning he has to stay in jail for one year until the investigation has been completed.
A few months ago, we read on this blog of 3 young petty thieves who were caught and brutally beaten and killed by vigilantes and the local police..some posters made comments that they deserved what they got..If that is the kind of cruelty that is being condoned in the DR, no wonder people are heartless and unsympathetic to these kind of crimes...one incident should be no less abhorring than the other
People get killed for many reasons.
Some people get killed for no reason at all. I guess that it is only human nature to find a reason why someone was killed. Finding a reason is probably a kind of inner defense mechanism we use to avoid the thought that one day it could happen to us. Like: they were killed because they were caught stealing, but since I don't steal it won't happen to me. Or: he was killed because he forced a man to have sex with him, but since I don't force men to have sex with me I'll be OK. I don't think people are heartless when someone is brutally murdered. They just try to find a logical reason for something that has no logic at all.
From Puerto Rico,
Rafael
Anthony, i have a question about this "Gay Panic" defense. If a gay man in the DR were to murder a straight guy, could he claim "gay panic", as in the sense of...baby my gay panic flared up and I went wild and fucked him up and killed him, I don't known what came over me?,you know Anthony, that sort of thing?
Is this last post (5:24 PM) for real or just the babbling of some poor, demented soul?
Say just for your info, this major murder in P.R. has made the CNN news here in the U.S big time. It was all over the CNN news over the weekend and making waves for the authorities (in P,R,)to charge this young man with murder in accordance with the Hate crime bill according to the way the law was written & signed by President Obama just recently, so keeps your eyes and ears posted for further news on this horrific murder.
Tonight at 6:00 PM, there is a march and vigil in front of the Department of Justice in Puerto Rico. Hundreds are expected to attend including people/families that do not belong to any of the gay/lesbian organizations on the
island. In addition, just a few days ago, a man who had already killed his first wife also killed his second one, and in between, beat up another woman he was going out with. However, he only served minimum sentences in prison. Feminist groups are asking that this,too, be classified under the hate crimes law. The purpose of the march/vigil is to make the authorities aware that hate crimes will not be tolerated no matter who the victim may be!
From Puerto Rico,
Rafael
I sincerely hope there was a huge turn out and that this vigil is very successful and well covered by the local media.It will be an up hill battle(because of homophobia) however, very much worth the fight. This just can not conti' to happen any longer in the world in which we live. These types of murders should long be behind us espically in the year 2009.The most affective way or best approach is to keep this formost in all the local people mine set and keep it in the for-front in the community has often has possible.Good luck...
Does anyone know how the turn out was for the vigil?I sincerely hope it was a huge success. Thanks to anyone who may know the answer to my question..Have a great week
Over a thousand people attended. It was one of the largest vigils of its type so far in PR. Many people who were not memebers of any gay or lesbian groups where in attendance. They were mostly regular people along with families and children in strollers who are
just fed up with the violence.
From Puerto Rico,
Rafael
Thank you Rafael for your update.I sincerely appreciate you bringing us the latest.Just great,sounds like there was a huge showing... thanks again...
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