Daqua Lameek Ritter, a man from South Carolina, was found guilty on Friday, February 23 of killing a Black transgender woman in the United States’ first federal trial over a hate-crime based on gender identity.
Ritter was convicted by a jury of murdering the trans woman, known as ‘Dime Doe’, in 2019 and now faces a maximum of life imprisonment without parole. Ritter was also found guilty of using a firearm in connection with the fatal shooting and obstructing justice.
“This case stands as a testament to our committed effort to fight violence that is targeted against those who may identify as a member of the opposite sex, for their sexual orientation or for any other protected characteristics,” Brook Andrews, an assistant attorney for the District of South Carolina, told reporters.
In recent years, there has been a surge in attacks on the LGBTQ+ community. For decades, transgender women of colour have faced disproportionately high rates of violence and hate crimes, according to the Department of Homeland Security. In 2022, the number of gender identity-based hate crimes reported by the FBI increased by 37% compared to the previous year.
The four-day trial over Doe’s killing centred on the secret sexual relationship between her and Ritter, the latter of whom had grown agitated by the exposure of their affair in the small town of Allendale, according to witness testimony and text messages obtained by the FBI. Prosecutors accused Ritter of shooting Doe three times to prevent further revelation of his involvement with a transgender woman.
