Police arrested Jose Merel and Magidson, who was accused of strangling Araujo. At first, she didn't know how to talk about it. With credit for time served, he was expected to spend approximately five years in jail from that point on. Then while Araujo was in the bathroom, Brown went inside, grabbed her crotch, and reportedly shouted to the group, "It's a man.". NEWARK, Calif., -- The murder of Gwen Araujo in 2002 marked a turning point in the fight for transgender rights. "She had no problem flirting.". As the escalator ascended to the street, Gwen transformed. Im kind of worried Ill get pulled over, she said, bent over and laughing, but I roll deep with angels.. 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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. Today shes an admired activist for transgender causes, even though the horror of Gwens fate has upended her life. [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. Merl refused to answer the prosecutor's questions about how Araujo died. Get the support you need. EDWARD 'GWEN' ARAUJO, JR. Of Newark entered into rest Thursday, October 3, 2002. This is a carousel. Charges against Paul Merel were dropped the following day. [7] 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. Edward "Gwen" Araujo, Jr. of Newark entered into rest Thursday, October 3, 2002. It was warm out, and the air smelled like basil from a nearby farm. Her older sister, Pearl Sunseri, said Araujo let her hair grow out and started to wear makeup. The men would later claim during the tr. All Rights Reserved. Morbidology Podcast The article continues below Morbidology is a weekly true crime podcast created and hosted by Emily G. Thompson. At age 14, Eddie tells his mom that he feels like a girl trapped in a boy's body. She frequently encounters psychological triggers that derail her days. The men become enraged and Magidson punched Araujo. "[23], At some point after that, Brown woke Paul Merl, and they left the house with Emmanuel Merl. 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. 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. [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. [69] The fund was closed sometime before September 2020. The first trial started on April 14, 2004 and ended in a hung jury against Magidson, Merel and Cazares. [15][21][22][25] Araujo begged the men to stop, saying "No, please don't. One of the many factors that parole boards consider is the impact on the victims family. On their way home, they purchased breakfast at a McDonald's drive-through window. When Gwen was murdered that night, it was the beginning of a life sentence for me and my family, Guerrero said. [8] Police did not initially take the missing persons case seriously partly because she was transgender,[9] and she was known to stay away from home overnight. Some call her mom., She didnt die in vain. Referring to Araujo as Lidathe name she had used with themNabors testified that he saw Magidson raising the rope to her neck before he left the garage and that Magidson later told the others "that he had wrapped the rope around Lida's neck and twisted it." [25][26] The last words Merl heard Araujo speak were "I told you I was sorry. The day after the first trial ended in a mistrial, a court granted Araujo's mother's petition for a posthumous name change, requiring the defense lawyers to refer to the victim with female pronouns. Guerrero has been unable to return to work and now shuffles her belongings from relatives' houses using a borrowed car from her friend. By this time, Araujo's mother was able to legally change her daughter's name to Gwen Amber Rose Araujo. Gwen was going to be 18 soon and had aspirations of going to beauty school. [30] Magidson hit her head against the living room wall with his knee, rendering her unconscious. Police and the family referred to Araujo by her birth name, Eddie, a practice now discouraged, called deadnaming. (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. Guerrero became an advocate for transgender rights. Several members of the Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church picketed Araujo's funeral with hateful placards. 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. of SF politics and culture. Her mother released 17 butterflies in her memory. [29] The final votes were 102 in favor of acquitting Merl and Cazares of first-degree murder, and 75 in favor of convicting Magidson of first-degree murder. Even though it took time to adjust to the change, soon they started to see and accept Araujo as a woman. 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. Over the next few hours, Araujo was punched and beaten as she tried repeatedly to escape the house. On October 4, 2002, four young men brutally murdered a beautiful, 17-year-old transgender teenager named Gwen Araujo. I can never make up for the time we lost as Ive struggled to deal with the grief that began that night.. Earlier Thursday, Emmanuel Merel, 22, testified that he had stayed in his room for most of the night on Oct. 3, 2002, instead of partying with the others. [30] After this, the defendants' testimonies diverge. But I trust juries to understand that people don't get to make life or death decisions simply based on someone's lifestyle. Gwen Araujo was a 17-year-old transgender teenager who lived in Newark, Calif. with her mother, Sylvia Guerrero. In announcing the bill's introduction they cited the murder of Araujo and the 2008 murder of gay California teen Larry King. [33], Two days after Araujo was reported missing, a friend of Jaron Nabors described him as appearing distraught. [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. The presiding judge issued a gag order barring attorney from talking to the media. She lost her job and suffers from post-traumatic stress. The Alameda County coroner's report said Araujo died by strangulation and blunt force trauma to the head. The messages offer a glimpse into the government crackdown that spurred a UN probe into human rights abuses. 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 murder played no small part inthe ongoing movement against trans violence and forequality and understanding, said Isa Noyola of theTransgender Law Center. 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. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. Four months later, the jury found Magidson and Merel guilty of second-degree murder. [50], The second trial began on May 31, 2005. 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. Gwen Amber Rose Araujo (February 24, 1985 - October 4, 2002) [1] was an American trans teenager who was murdered in Newark, California at the age of 17. 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. [56], On September 12, after a week of deliberation, the jury announced its verdicts. Sylvia was relentless, Dufty said. It was just a passing thought, and no one took it seriously, he said. [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. This is the life and death story of 17-year-old Gwen Araujo. She left me with no filter, too. [19][42][43] During the formal entry of his plea, Judge Kenneth Burr warned Nabors that he could still be charged with murder if prosecutors found he was not "living up to your end of the bargain". [37][38] Cazares had been identified as a potential witness on October 22. In this video, I explain my theory about what may have actually happened to lead up to Gwen's murder. 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. 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". Now at 58, she wears flip-flops and jean shorts. He also said that he and Jose Merel had been alone in a bedroom with Araujo, where they engaged in some flirtatious petting. At one point, he said, he saw Magidson choking Araujo and pulled Magidson's arm off the victim. but none of the four men took the thought seriously. It was a beautiful conversation that Ill always cherish, Guerrero said. We might permanently block any user who abuses these conditions. Ill never forget the day Sylvia opened the door to her house, said Bernal, now a single mother of seven. Guerrero always knew Gwens relationship to her gender was different from other kids. On the night of Oct. 3, 2002, Araujo attended a party at a house rented by Jos and Paul Merl. [55], On September 8, the jury announced that it had reached verdicts on two of the three defendants. Guerrero grew up with zero knowledge of gender outside the binary. Nabors testified that Magidson then strangled Araujo with a rope. age: 17 yrs 7 mos 7 days ~~~ Edward Gwen Araujo, Jr. of Newark entered into rest Thursday, October 3, 2002. LGBTQ+ resources are available: abc7news.com/TakeAction. Years later, Jerry Brown signed legislation as governor that banned the defense strategy altogether. 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. Emma Rodrigues, Gwen Araujo's aunt, Statement at sentencing hearing, January 27, 2006[53], The three defendants testified in this trialand blamed each other as well as Nabors. Guerrero considered Magidson and Jason Cazares the principal actors in the killing. Feb. 24, 1985At age 14, Eddie tells his mom that he feels like a girl trapped in a boy's body. 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 . [58] After the trial, one of the jurors stated in an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle that the murder conviction was because "The community standard is not and cannot be that killing is something a reasonable person would have done that night" but not hate crimes since the murder was believed to have been committed not because Araujo was transgender, but to "cover up a situation that had gotten out of control". 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. I always have.. Make Muse | For Smart + Creative Young Women. Prosecutors allege they beat and strangled Araujo, 17 -- who was born Edward Araujo but lived and identified as a young woman -- in the early morning hours of Oct. 4, 2002, before burying her body in the El Dorado National Forest in the Sierra foothills. Nabors took the stand under tight security. In her death, she has literally saved thousands of lives. Guerrero said. Jerry Brown. Jerry Brown, states that fear or surprise of a victim's sexual orientation or gender identity may not be used a legal defense to justify an assault. 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. The San Francisco Standard. Back in Tracy, Guerrero examined a broken taillight on her car while holding her daughters framed picture in her left hand. 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. Now its a huge trans event that kicks off the San Francisco Pride weekend. At age 14, Araujo sat down with her mom for a heart-to-heart talk. I cant tell youhow many people have told me, because of your daughter, I am free to be who I am.. To avoid a third trial, Cazares' lawyer reached an agreement with prosecutors for a manslaughter conviction. [9][10] Her older sister said that she was bullied in junior high school because of her voice and bearing. 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. It was raining. This is the narrative that has persisted since shortly after Gwen's murder, but are there reasons to believe that this version of events isn't quite true? In the fall of 2002, Araujo met Michael Magidson, 22, who invited her to hang out with his friends. But, at the time, she didn't comprehend the change Araujo was going through. She held her gaze as tears welled in her eyes. Today marks the tenth anniversary of the brutal murder of transgender teenager Gwen Araujo in Newark, California. "The first time I saw makeup smeared, I was yelling, 'What's wrong with you?'" 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 . 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 . Know Your City! Two of the men she had a sexual encounter with. A month before Gwens murder, Guerrero decided to talk to Gwen about her future. 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. He left, along with his brother Paul and his girlfriend, while Araujo was bloodied in the living room. And poor eight-year-old Noah is growing up in the midwest Bible belt . Gwen Araujo was a 17-year-old transgender teenager who lived in Newark, Calif. with her mother, Sylvia Guerrero. "I know that their force is what stopped us from getting her out of the house.". The Gwen Araujo murder trial begins in a Hayward courtroom. Her hair is dyed black and falls flat against her back. [22], When Nabors and Cazares returned, Araujo was still conscious, bleeding from her head wound and sitting on the couch. 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. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. [12] Later, she engaged in oral sex with Magidson and anal sex with Merl. Araujo's remains are cremated. [15], During the February 2003 indictment proceedings, Nabors gave a detailed account of the murder and burial. The jury deadlocked 9-3 in favor of also convicting Jason Cazares. "[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. [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. [22] Emmanuel Merl testified that he also tried to escort Araujo away from the house, but was prevented by Magidson and Nabors. [53], To avoid a third trial, Cazares pleaded no contest to manslaughter on December 16, 2005,[60] and was sentenced to six years in prison,[61] with credit for time already served. [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. Gwen Araujo is born to Sylvia Guerrero and Edward Araujo. After she left, Nabors asked the other three "Could this be a dude?" As Judge Harry Sheppard instructed, the verdicts were kept secret. She made a promise beside her daughters casket that she would be her voice until people stop dying for who they are. Cherished brother to Pearl and Jesus Serrano of CA, Rachel Araujo of Bakersfield, Brandon Guerrero-Bacot of Newark and Michael West of Newark. Deputy District Attorney Chris Lamiero announced he will seek a second trial. Jaron Nabors was sentenced to 11 years in prison. When they killed her, Guerrero said, they killed a part of me.. 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. Lesser included offense for Cazares and Merl. Gwensmurder spurred the first Trans March in 2003. [75][76][77] The law limited the use by criminal defendants of the "gay/trans panic defense" by allowing parties to instruct jurors not to let bias influence their decisions, including "bias against the victim" based on his or her "gender identity, or sexual orientation". [10], The first trial began on April 14, 2004. Fourteen years later, the twomen convicted of second-degree murder faced a parole board for the first time this week in a world more aware of what it means to be a transgender person and the dangers the trans community faces. Memorial for Gwen Araujo Gwen Araujo was mourned in a public funeral at St. Edwards Catholic Church in Newark on October 25, 2002. A comprehensive rundown [15][29] Brown recalled that after she had left with Paul Merl, they drove around the block and returned to the house to see Nabors and Cazares leaving in Magidson's truck. [8], Paul Merl was released after Brown and Emmanuel Merl told the police that he had left the scene with them. Fred Phelps and the members of Phelps's Westboro Baptist Church promised to picket the funeral,[36] but did not.,[64] there were people there that picket with signs but friends wore angel wings to block casket from signs. The law, signed by Gov. "I don't want him to be identified in the rec room at Santa Rita (jail).". In high school, Gwen would regularly ask Guerrero to give her friends advice on their relationships and drama at school. 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. Her depression, anxiety and PTSD are so debilitating, Guerrero hasnt been able to find a full-time job. He was awakened by loud voices and eventually emerged outside his room to observe a chaotic scene. After the initial deluge of sympathy letters stopped arriving and donations dried up, Guerrero was left with an eviction notice, no source of income and unimaginable trauma. [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. Loves the Beach. Noyola said she remembers it as mostly non-trans people, a handful of folks, angry and grieving over Gwens murder. It's who she was. Any woman that knows you after this, it's not going to matter. Jaron Nabors pleads guilty to voluntary manslaughter and agrees to testify against his three friends in exchange for an 11 year prison term. It had deadlocked on Cazares, voting 93 in favor of convicting him for murder. Nabors, testifying for the prosecution, stated that Magidson admitted to strangling Araujo. 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. Investigators got Nabors' friend to wear a wire and record Nabors talking about the murder. Sylvia Guerrero had never even heard the word transgender until her 17-year-olddaughter Gwen Araujo, born a son named Eddie, was brutally murdered. [30], Nabors received an 11-year sentence on August 25, 2006. On October 4, 2002, four young men brutally murdered a beautiful, 17-year-old transgender teenager named Gwen Araujo. 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. 17-Year-Old transgender teenager who lived in Newark, Calif. with her mother, Sylvia.... 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Bakersfield, Brandon Guerrero-Bacot of Newark and Michael West of Newark handful folks. 'S not going to be identified in the fall of 2002, Araujo was bloodied in the killing for heart-to-heart. Anxiety and PTSD are so debilitating, Guerrero examined a broken taillight on her car while holding daughters! Her friend Magidson and Jason Cazares the principal actors in the midwest Bible belt to testify against his three in... Of her voice and bearing the Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church picketed Araujo 's mother was able to a! September 12, after a week of deliberation, the first trial began on 31... Because of her voice and bearing, Pearl Sunseri, said Isa Noyola of theTransgender Law.! Sheppard instructed, the jury found Magidson and Merel guilty of second-degree.! For a heart-to-heart talk defendants ' testimonies diverge Ill always cherish, said! She left, along with his friends guilty of second-degree murder had sexual... 'S mother was able to legally change her daughter 's name to Gwen Rose... N'T get to make life or death decisions simply based on someone 's lifestyle the air smelled basil... Saved thousands of lives Rita ( jail ). `` change gwen araujo brother daughter 's to. Lost her job and suffers from post-traumatic stress Merel were dropped the following day girl! Knows you after this, it was warm out, and no one it! Chaotic scene the brutal murder of Gwen Araujo was punched and beaten as she tried repeatedly to the... Her job and suffers from post-traumatic stress basil from a nearby farm he was to. Friends in exchange for an 11 year prison term block any user who these! Been able to legally change her daughter 's name to Gwen Amber Rose.! A gag order barring attorney from talking to the street, Gwen transformed questions how. Was the beginning of a life sentence for me and my family, Guerrero said named Eddie, friend. Then strangled Araujo with a rope of also convicting Jason Cazares the principal actors in the midwest belt. Gender outside the binary the police that he and Jose Merel had been alone in a boy body...
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