The first federal case of a hate crime based on gender identity is just starting in South Carolina, where prosecutors are pursuing charges against a man who allegedly killed a Black, transgender woman and then ran to New York.
While there have been cases of individuals pleading guilty to gender-related hate crime charges, this marks the first time in United States history one has been brought to trial.
“His crime was motivated by his anger at being mocked for having a sexual relationship with a transgender woman,” government lawyers wrote last year.
The U.S. Dept. of Justice — the entity prosecuting the case — claims Daqua Lameek Ritter convinced a trans woman (who is referred to as “Dime Doe” in the case) he knew to drive to an extremely rural area in South Carolina in August 2019. Once the two arrived in the sparsely populated county, Ritter shot the woman three times in the head according to Breon Peace, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York.
Trans women — most specifically, trans women of color — experience disproportionately higher rates of violence against them than other groups, according to data from the Department of Homeland Security. In fact, in 2022 the rate of gender identity-based hate crimes reported by the FBI increased by 37 percent. An unprecedented spike, it coincides with the uptick in anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment across the country.
The Department of Justice went on to explain Ritter was in a sexual relationship with Doe, and a month prior to the attack, his friends and another girlfriend at the time learned Ritter was with the trans woman. The defense argues Ritter and Doe were only friends and were reportedly related through Ritter’s aunt and Doe’s uncle.
Prosecutors claim Ritter was dishonest regarding his whereabouts the day of the murder, and had people he knew help get rid of evidence. Some of this included burning Ritter’s clothes, lying to detectives about Ritter’s location, hiding the murder weapon, and potentially more.
Other evidence expected to be shown at the trial includes messages between Ritter and Doe, video footage taken at a traffic stop placing Ritter in her car just hours before the murder, as well as DNA matching Ritter found in Doe’s car.
Ritter’s lawyer explained the DNA found in Doe’s car by saying it made sense because of the friendship between the two.
If convicted, Ritter could face multiple life sentences. He is facing other charges, in addition to the hate crime charge, including committing murder with a firearm and misleading investigators.