S.C. Man Sentenced to Life in Prison in Landmark Hate Crime Case of Slain Black Transgender Woman

Mar. 15, 2025

Dime Doe.Photo:Facebook

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“This sentencing sends a clear message — the Justice Department vigorously defends the civil rights of every American,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said in a statement. “We will use all the resources at our disposal to safeguard the rights of the LGBTQI+ community, and we will investigate and prosecute perpetrators of transphobic-fueled violence in our country.”

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Clarke called Doe’s killing “heinous and tragic.”

At trial earlier this year, federal prosecutors presented text and social media messages showing that Ritter had become upset about rumors regarding his sexual relationship with Doe, according to an FBIpress release. As a result, on Aug. 4, 2019, Ritter “lured Doe to a remote area in Allendale, S.C., and shot her three times in the head.”

Dime Doe.Facebook

Afterward, the FBI says that Ritter burned his own clothes, discarded the gun and then “repeatedly” lied to law enforcement about his involvement in Doe’s killing.

The first federal hate crime trial based on gender identity was held at the Matthew J. Perry, Jr. Courthouse in Columbia, S.C. in February 2024. The jury returned an all guilty verdict.AP Photo/James Pollard

AP Photo/James Pollard

“In America,” Clarke said in a statement. “Trans and gender non-conforming people deserve to live their lives free from violence based on who they are and who they love.”

source: people.com