The four accused of the murder were: Michael Magidson, 22; Jaron Nabors, 19; Jos Merl, 22; and Paul Merl, Jose's older brother. Magidson and Merl were each convicted on the charge of second-degree murder,[57] but not convicted of the hate-crime enhancement allegations. 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. The program includes police interrogation videos and court evidence not previously seen by the public since the well-publicized trials of her killers more than 15 years ago. HAYWARD / Witness tells of friends' anger at being duped / He HAYWARD / Araujo begged for mercy, witness says, THIS IS A HANDOUT IMAGE. [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. "The first time I saw makeup smeared, I was yelling, 'What's wrong with you?'" 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. 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. Jose Merel, 36, was granted parole on Friday with the support of Guerrero, pending a review from the Board of Parole Hearings and Gov. Lesser included offense for Cazares and Merl. [25] Jos Merl became concerned that Araujo was bleeding on the couch and ordered her off it. Araujo was killed at a house party 14 years ago . Nabors and Cazares urged the others to "knock the b out", according to Nabors's testimony. [9][10] Her older sister said that she was bullied in junior high school because of her voice and bearing. Then while Araujo was in the bathroom, Brown went inside, grabbed her crotch, and reportedly shouted to the group, "It's a man.". "My first impression of her was that she wasn't shy at all," Nabors said. Sylvia Guerrero had never heard the word transgender until four men murdered her daughter. 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. Writing is not a hobby, but a passion. At the sentencing of the suspects, Araujo's mother, Sylvia Guerrero, said that the murder and court process (which lasted three years) had taken an emotional toll on her and that it had affected her relationship with her children. [78][79][80] AB 2501 was introduced by Assemblywoman Susan A. Bonilla in partnership with Equality California. [51] Magidson, Merl, and Cazares were charged with first-degree murder with hate-crime enhancements.[52]. Alameda County Sheriff's Office dispatched four crime scene investigators and two detectives to recover the body from the grave site. As a young boy, Eddie Araujo always felt like he was different in a way. He left, along with his brother Paul and his girlfriend, while Araujo was bloodied in the living room. She says she is excited to return to actively working on the cause. I cant tell youhow many people have told me, because of your daughter, I am free to be who I am.. The jury deadlocked 9-3 in favor of also convicting Jason Cazares. The case attracted national attention, both good and bad. Momsespecially momsif they knew the factsyou'd be surprised. Some call her mom., She didnt die in vain. Ill never forget the day Sylvia opened the door to her house, said Bernal, now a single mother of seven. But the murder of Gwen Araujo is still important today. Gwen Araujo was a 17-year-old transgender woman from Newark, California. We invite you to use our commenting platform to engage in insightful conversations about issues in our community. A recent family photograph shows Eddie Araujo holding his niece Arianna. She is born with male genitalia and raised as a boy by her family, who call her Eddie. As the escalator ascended to the street, Gwen transformed. I can never make up for the time we lost as Ive struggled to deal with the grief that began that night.. At first, she didnt know how to talk about it. To avoid a third trial, Cazares' lawyer reached an agreement with prosecutors for a manslaughter conviction. "[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". Seventeen states now have bans on the use of gay and trans panic defenses. She held her gaze as tears welled in her eyes. Get the support you need. [19], TransVision, a comprehensive health and social services program for transgender people in Alameda County, was founded in 2002 and operated by Tri-City Health Center after the murder of Gwen Araujo. People are going to be hard on you, and its not going to be easy. Gwen Araujo was born on February 24, 1985, in Brawley, California, to Edward Araujo and Sylvia Guerrero. [67] Amber Rose was the name Guerrero had chosen before her child was born, in the event it was a girl. Guerrero sees her daughters legacy firsthand each time the Lifetime movie, A Girl Like Me: The Gwen Araujo Storyairs. Jason Cazares struck a deal with prosecutors to avoid a third trial and accepted a six-year prison sentence for involuntary manslaughter. Curating the best of The Standards top-notch reporting, every Saturday. Feb. 24, 1985At age 14, Eddie tells his mom that he feels like a girl trapped in a boy's body. I was not perfect, Guerrero said, reflecting on that moment decades later. Her PTSD and memory problems leave her unable to return to her former career and force her to scrape by with help fromseveral crowdfunding campaigns, including a recent GoFundMe page. I don't think most jurors are going to think it's OK to engage someone in sexual activity knowing they assume you have one sexual anatomy when you don't. Back in Tracy, Guerrero examined a broken taillight on her car while holding her daughters framed picture in her left hand. As they were burying her, the men continued to disparage her. It had deadlocked on Cazares, voting 93 in favor of convicting him for murder. Feb. 24, 1985At age 14, Eddie tells his mom that he feels like a girl trapped in a boy's body. 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. The law, signed by Gov. 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. On October 4, 2002, four young men brutally murdered a beautiful, 17-year-old transgender teenager named Gwen Araujo. She frequently encounters psychological triggers that derail her days. At age 14, Eddie tells his mom that he feels like a girl trapped in a boy's body. [22][25][27] Emmanuel Merl later testified he walked to a convenience store to buy gum, then went to a friend's house to spend the night. She cant afford the surgery to remove an IUD that should have been taken out in 2005 and has painfully embedded itself in her uterus. Sylvia Guerrero spoke at the first Trans March held on the Friday before the Pride Parade in San Francisco. She lives in this prison in her own mind.". It was raining. Copyright 2023 KGO-TV. [12], Jos Merl vomited upon learning Araujo was anatomically male, then began to cry in disbelief,[23] saying "I can't be f gay. Lopez stood next to her on a packed BART station escalator. 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. We have a long way to go before a trans person can be free to live their lives, to live out their dreams and goals like they deserve.. Deputy District Attorney Chris Lamiero announced he will seek a second trial. California Gov. Gwen Araujo was a 17-year-old transgender teenager who lived in Newark, Calif. with her mother, Sylvia Guerrero. Transgender activists educated the family about what it means to be transgender and the proper use of pronouns. Investigators got Nabors' friend to wear a wire and record Nabors talking about the murder. Like the little flowers on the side of the freeway that no one notices. 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. That friend told someone else and the rumor of Araujo's murder eventually got back to the family who reported it to police. Make Muse | For Smart + Creative Young Women. Magidson, Jos Merl, Cazares and Nabors then drove four hours to the Silver Forks campground in El Dorado National Forest to buy Araujo's body. [46] Magidson's attorney said that his client was not biased[47] but had been shocked "beyond reason" to learn he had unwittingly had sex with a "man": a variant of the gay panic defense. Her face lit up, said Lopez, who came out to Gwen in high school. In this video, I explain my theory about what may have actually happened to lead up to Gwen's murder. 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. 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 . Jos Merl, who cried in anguish about having sex with Araujo, then struck her with a frying pan and a can of food. Magidson also testified and under cross-examination said he received oral sex from Araujo the night she was killed. I feel like a freak.". 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. Even though it took time to adjust to the change, soon they started to see and accept Araujo as a woman. Eddie then began transitioning as a woman and called herself Gwen, after her favorite singer Gwen Stefani.According to court testimony, Araujo, whom the men knew . AB 2501 became the first state law in the nation to prohibit the use of the "gay panic" or "trans panic" defenses. The four men were outside talking and smoking when Nabors asked, "Could this be a dude?" The law requires that juries must be informed that they are forbidden from making decisions based on any victim's gender or sexual orientation. Gwen loved going to the city because she could be herself there.. All Rights Reserved. When they killed her, Guerrero said, they killed a part of me.. Paul Merl was quickly released because his girlfriend came forward to the . 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. [8], Paul Merl was released after Brown and Emmanuel Merl told the police that he had left the scene with them. Gwen was going to be 18 soon and had aspirations of going to beauty school. 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. Emmanuel Merel testified he tried to get Araujo out of the house but was stopped by the other men. I feel like he forced them into homosexual sex, and my definition of rape was being forced into sex." The 17-year-old from the San Francisco Bay Area was punched, beaten and eventually strangled to death when several men discovered she was a transgender woman. 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. She walked into the house with Eddie then began transitioning as a woman and called herself Gwen, after her favorite singer Gwen Stefani. An estimated 3,000 marched from Dolores Park to Civic Center where a rally was held. "[22], The party-goers did not report the crime and the assailants said nothing to anyone about the murder. Gwen Araujo is born to Sylvia Guerrero and Edward Araujo. [34] Confronted with the recording, Nabors agreed to lead authorities to the body[30] on October 15. After she left, Nabors asked the other three "Could this be a dude?" This is the life and death story of 17-year-old Gwen Araujo. [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. 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. Jose Merel hit her in the head with a frying pan and a can of soup. Her hair is dyed black and falls flat against her back. It was a beautiful conversation that Ill always cherish, Guerrero said. As Judge Harry Sheppard instructed, the verdicts were kept secret. Through this fund, Sylvia Guerrero and her family spoke in middle and high schools about transgender awareness and understanding. [70], Sylvia Guerrero, Araujo's mother, worked as a legal assistant at a San Jose law firm, but as of 2016 was homeless due to PTSD from the incident. She left me with no filter, too. ", HAYWARD / Suspect's brother says he tried to aid Araujo / He testifies others blocked him from rescuing victim. [60], Gwen Araujo was mourned in a public funeral at St. Edwards Catholic Church in Newark on October 25, 2002. Watch the ABC7 Originals documentary, "Being Gwen: A Life and Death Story," streaming now in the video player above.It's also available on the ABC Owned Television Stations' connected TV Apps: ABC7 Bay Area, ABC30 Central California, ABC7 Los Angeles, ABC7 New York, ABC7 Chicago, 6abc Philadelphia, ABC13 Houston, and ABC11 Raleigh-Durham. Cazares pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter in exchange for a six-year sentence after two juries couldnt agree ona verdict. Now, I express how I feel like she did.. By early morning on Oct. 4, the men questioned Araujo and demanded to know if she is biologically male. Magidson was called out for being unrepentant at his sentencing and still has not shown remorse, according to Guerrero. Gwen Araujo's murder brought about several changes in California law. Police then question Nabors, Magidson and Jos Merl. Jerry Brown. This is a carousel. I have a family. She taught them how to pick wild blackberries and catch salmon from the creek by their house, a place still close to her heart. Her older sister, Pearl Sunseri, said Araujo let her hair grow out and started to wear makeup. But I love you, and well get through this., Guerrero wasnt just a mother and confidante to Gwen and her three other children but to anyone who needed her. NEWARK, Calif., -- The murder of Gwen Araujo in 2002 marked a turning point in the fight for transgender rights. [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. Guerrero has been unable to return to work and now shuffles her belongings from relatives' houses using a borrowed car from her friend. 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. [8] Nabors had confessed to a friend what the four had done shortly after returning from the grave site. [8][13] According to Merl, Magidson said he was not sure she was dead until they struck her with a shovel. 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. [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. Eddie then began transitioning as a woman and called herself Gwen, after her favorite singer Gwen Stefani.According to court testimony, Araujo, whom the men knew a Lida, engaged in sexual . 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. [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]. The 17-year-old from the San Francisco Bay Area was punched, beaten and. And if you or anyone you know is being bullied, call the Transgender Law Center for help at 415-865-0176. The San Francisco Standard. [30], Magidson testified that it was instead Nabors who strangled her and struck her with the shovel,[32] and Cazares testified that he never struck her and did not see her die. Jaron Nabors. 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 prosecution's star witness, who has accepted a plea deal for his role in the death. Nabors, testifying for the prosecution, stated that Magidson admitted to strangling Araujo. Manny later testified that he tried to get Araujo out of the house but was stopped by the other men. "[20] Brown said the four men were out at a club together and did not return to the house until after midnight. [7] Besides English, Jogia speaks some Gujarati and French. July 4, 1999 At age 14, Eddie tells his mom. [17][21] Brown was surprised and blurted out, "It's a f man! Loves the Beach. Theywere convicted at thesecond of two trials and sentenced to 15 years to life in prison. 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. 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. Gwens mother is one of the victims that transphobic violence leaves behind. ",[20] and the men with whom she had had sexual relations became enraged and violent. One night Gwen decided to go to a nearby house party. "[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. [30] Later that morning, during a phone conversation, Brown asked Jos Merl what happened, to which he replied "Let's just say she had a long walk home. ". Jose Merel and Magidson had been sexually intimate with Araujo on other occasions. 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. [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. Emmanuel Merel said he later had left the house with his older brother, Paul Merel, and the brother's girlfriend, Nicole Brown. The men became suspicious that Araujo was not biologically female because she did not let them touch her genitalia. On their living room sofa, Guerrero and her daughter planned out the future. Gwen Amber Rose Araujo (February 24, 1985 - October 4, 2002 [1]) was an American teenager who was murdered in Newark, California. [15], During the February 2003 indictment proceedings, Nabors gave a detailed account of the murder and burial. [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. One of those friends was Daisy Bernal, whom Guerrero took in for three years when she was 16. 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." Merl was granted early parole in 2016, after reportedly showing extensive remorse to Araujo's mother, who supported the decision. | Olivia Cruz Mayeda/The Standard Guerrero always knew Gwen's relationship to her gender was different from other kids. Gwens murder and Guerreros advocacy have led to legislative change. As she struggles to heal and support herself, Guerrero has also found a deep appreciation for the impact of Gwens life. EDWARD 'GWEN' ARAUJO, JR. Of Newark entered into rest Thursday, October 3, 2002. Her family reported her missing, but police had no information about her disappearance until Nabors told a close friend about what happened. [52] He asked the jury to return first-degree murder convictions of Magidson and Cazares, fingering Magidson as the main culprit who had strangled Araujo and calling him "a poor excuse for a man" with a "stupid and moronic" list of excuses for murdering her. Araujo's mom reports her missing to police. [71], In September 2006, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the "Gwen Araujo Justice for Victims Act" (AB 1160) into law. [12], Nabors and Cazares left in Magidson's truck to retrieve shovels and a pickaxe from Cazares's house,[25][28] saying as they left the Merl house that the other men were going to "kill that b". 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. Eddie then began transitioning as a woman and called herself Gwen, after her favorite singer Gwen Stefani.According to court testimony, Araujo, whom the men knew a Lida, engaged in sexual . She lived with relatives for a while and now shares a room with one of her grandchildren. Anti-shock collar legislation has garnered widespread supportand controversyfrom animal welfare advocates. Now its a huge trans event that kicks off the San Francisco Pride weekend. TIMELINE: How the murder of transgender teenager Gwen Araujo unfolded. Sylvia Guerrero has faced hardship since Araujo's death. Dufty was elected as a supervisor in San Francisco a few months after Gwens murder and witnessed the community organizing that followed. Araujo's funeral is held at St. Edward's Catholic Church in Newark. I still call her mom when I talk to her.. Copyright 2023 KGO-TV. A few weeks later they also arrested Cazares. Michael Magidson and Jos Merl were sentenced to 15 years to life for killing Gwen Araujo. When asked how she forced them, Nabors answered, "Through deception. Memorial for Gwen Araujo Gwen Araujo was mourned in a public funeral at St. Edwards Catholic Church in Newark on October 25, 2002. [14], Nabors pleaded guilty on February 24, 2003, to a lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter, which carried an 11-year prison sentence, along with a promise to testify against the other three defendants.
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