![]() ![]() "This guilty plea will go towards demonstrating hate crime will not be tolerated in the United States. "Hate crime has no place in our society, especially by those targeting victims solely for their sexual orientation or identity," said Special Agent in Charge Freeze. 21, Vallum admitted that he lied and would not have killed her if she had not been transgender. Vallum got a hammer from his trunk, and hit the teen in the head repeatedly until she died.Īfter attempting to get rid of the murder weapons, Vallum lied and told police he killed the woman after learning she was transgender. When Vallum went back to his car, Williamson tried yet again to flee. When the victim ran away, Vallum chased and stabbed her again multiple times, including what he thought was a fatal stab to the head. After arriving at his father's house in Lucedale, Vallum stunned the teen with a stun gun and repeatedly stabbed her with a pocket knife. Vallum picked Williamson up from her Alabama home, he used false pretenses to get her in his car and driver her to Mississippi. ![]() After learning a friend found out about the relationship, Vallum decided to kill the teenager on May 28. The pair broke up around August or September 2014, having no further contact until May 2015. Vallum told officials that he feared he would be in danger if other Latin King members found out, as homosexual activities were prohibited in the gang. Vallum, a member of the Almighty Latin Kings and Queens Nation gang, knew that Williamson was born a male and kept the nature of his relationship a secret from family and friends. By holding accountable the perpetrator of this heinous deed, we reinforce our commitment to ensuring justice for all Americans."Īccording to the Department of Justice, Vallum and Williamson began dating around late spring / early summer of 2014. While Mississippi convicted the defendant on murder charges, we believe in the fundamental value of identifying and prosecuting these bias-fueled incidents for what they are: acts of hate. "Today's landmark guilty plea reaffirms that basic principle, and it signals the Justice Department's determination to combat hate crimes based on gender identity. "Our nation's hate crime statutes advance one of our fundamental beliefs: that no one should have to live in fear because of who they are," said Attorney General Lynch. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |