She lost her job and suffers from post-traumatic stress. [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. As she struggles to heal and support herself, Guerrero has also found a deep appreciation for the impact of Gwens life. Jaron Nabors was sentenced to 11 years in prison. Nabors agreed to testify against his friends in exchange for a reduced manslaughter charge. Check out Bay Area safety tracker, Bay Area Life; Sundays at 6:30 p.m. on ABC7, How the murder of transgender teenager Gwen Araujo unfolded. [8][13] According to Merl, Magidson said he was not sure she was dead until they struck her with a shovel. [70], Sylvia Guerrero, Araujo's mother, worked as a legal assistant at a San Jose law firm, but as of 2016 was homeless due to PTSD from the incident. The civil rights leader made several notable appearances in the Bay Area, where he paved the way for future leaders like SFs first Black mayor, London Breed. That friend tipped off the police, and agreed to wear a microphone during a subsequent conversation with Nabors about the murder. [61] Magidson was denied parole again in September 2019. Sylvia Guerrero had never even heard the word transgender until her 17-year-olddaughter Gwen Araujo, born a son named Eddie, was brutally murdered. Transgender activists educated the family about what it means to be transgender and the proper use of pronouns. Vigils and marches seeking justice for Araujo were held in several San Francisco Bay Area cities. "My mom is stuck in her own grief," said Sunseri, who fought back tears about the impact Araujo's murder had on her mother. Michael Magidson, 23, Jose Merel, 24, and Jason Cazares, 24, are on trial for murder in the killing of the 17-year-old Araujo. 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? 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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. [69] The fund was closed sometime before September 2020. "[22], After Araujo was brought back into the house, Magidson grabbed at her skirt and underwear in an attempt to expose her genitals. [75][76][77] The law put California on record as declaring it contrary to public policy for defendants to be acquitted or convicted of a lesser included offense on the basis of appeals to "societal bias". She was cremated, and her mother Sylvia Guerrero retained the urn with her ashes. [6] Her parents divorced when she was 10 months old. Neither defendants was convicted of a hate crime. a GoFundMe page that raises donations on her behalf. Only 17 years old at the time of her death, today Gwen would be a 27-year-old young woman had her life not been brutally taken by four men who discovered she was born male. Initial coverage by several news media outlets described the victim as a cross-dressing man. Gwensmurder spurred the first Trans March in 2003. [7] In the fall of 2002, Araujo met Michael Magidson, 22, who invited her to hang out with his friends. he testified. Gwen Araujo was born on February 24, 1985, in Brawley, California, to Edward Araujo and Sylvia Guerrero. Writing is not a hobby, but a passion. The four who were initially arrested and accused of the murder were Magidson (age 22); Nabors (19), Jos Merl (22), and Paul Merl. They had met her walking in the middle of the street, drinking a beer. NEWARK, Calif. - The 2002 murder of Gwen Araujo marked a turning point in the fight for transgender rights. [52] Serra also argued that Cazares took no active role in killing her. "When Gwen was murdered that night, it was the beginning of a life sentence for me and my family," Guerrero told the publication. With credit for time served, he was expected to spend approximately five years in jail from that point on. Sylvia honors Gwen, and transgender victims of hate crimes everywhere, by speaking out. On October 4, 2002, four young men brutally murdered a beautiful, 17-year-old transgender teenager named Gwen Araujo. But, at the time, she didn't comprehend the change Araujo was going through. Now its a huge trans event that kicks off the San Francisco Pride weekend. Investigators got Nabors' friend to wear a wire and record Nabors talking about the murder. Watch the ABC7 Originals documentary, "Being Gwen: A Life and Death Story," streaming now in the video player above.It's also available on the ABC Owned Television Stations' connected TV Apps: ABC7 Bay Area, ABC30 Central California, ABC7 Los Angeles, ABC7 New York, ABC7 Chicago, 6abc Philadelphia, ABC13 Houston, and ABC11 Raleigh-Durham. Feb. 24, 1985At age 14, Eddie tells his mom that he feels like a girl trapped in a boy's body. At first, she didn't know how to talk about it. I dont have contacts anymore. For more than a decade after Gwens death, she spoke at events about her daughters murder and the struggle for trans rights at events, before taking a break of several years. By this time, Araujo's mother was able to legally change her daughter's name to Gwen Amber Rose Araujo. bitea dose of arts, culture and more. [34], One of the jurors wrote a newspaper article after the mistrial; in it, he credited Cazares's defense attorney, Tony Serra, with introducing enough reasonable doubt about the veracity of the prosecution's witnesses, including both Brown (who had admitted to consuming more than a dozen beers that night) and Nabors (who was characterized as a liar and "chameleon", prone to exaggeration and eager to please in every social situation). All Rights Reserved. San Mateo County could soon expand direct cash payments to some of its poorest residents, Pittsburg could soon see road and school crosswalk improvements, Opinion: What I learned about myself at the Richard Nixon Library, USC uses defense to upset No. When asked how she forced them, Nabors answered, "Through deception. When Gwen was murdered that night, it was the beginning of a life sentence for me and my family, Guerrero said. [37][38] Cazares had been identified as a potential witness on October 22. 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. She went on to say, "It feels like we lost our mom. Beto Lopez, Gwens childhood friend, remembered sneaking out of the house in their hometown of Newark to go to San Francisco Pride with Gwen in 2000. Gwens murder and Guerreros advocacy have led to legislative change. But her murder is still important today. Sylvia was relentless, Dufty said. In 2002, she would be brutally murdered by a group of men who uncovered that she was transgender. [75], In September 2014, California Governor Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill No. Merl and Magidson were sentenced to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after 15 years. Her depression, anxiety and PTSD are so debilitating, Guerrero hasnt been able to find a full-time job. I can never make up for the time we lost as Ive struggled to deal with the grief that began that night.. She was killed 20 years ago. 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". [8], Araujo first met Michael Magidson, Jos Merl, Jaron Nabors, and Jason Cazares in late August or early September 2002. "It is for this witness' safety," Sheppard said, during a meeting with journalists in his office. Four months later, the jury found Magidson and Merel guilty of second-degree murder. Sylvia Guerrero had never heard the word transgender until four men murdered her daughter. Over the next few hours, Araujo was punched and beaten as she tried repeatedly to escape the house. Know Your City! Back in Tracy, Guerrero examined a broken taillight on her car while holding her daughters framed picture in her left hand. "[59], Michael Magidson and Jos Merl were sentenced in January to 15 years to life in prison, for second-degree murder. [46] Magidson's attorney said that his client was not biased[47] but had been shocked "beyond reason" to learn he had unwittingly had sex with a "man": a variant of the gay panic defense. Merl was granted early parole in 2016, after reportedly showing extensive remorse to Araujo's mother, who supported the decision. Days before the 20-year anniversary of her daughters murder, Guerrero stood in front of the TV at her sons apartment in Tracy and flipped through generic photos of Pescaderos foggy coastline. I have a family. The 17-year-old from the San Francisco Bay Area was punched, beaten and. On October 4, 2002, four young men brutally murdered a beautiful, 17-year-old transgender teenager named Gwen Araujo. As Judge Harry Sheppard instructed, the verdicts were kept secret. [71], In September 2006, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the "Gwen Araujo Justice for Victims Act" (AB 1160) into law. The defense maintains Araujo tricked the defendants into sexual relations. ABC7 New York 24/7 Eyewitness News Stream. 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 . She is born with male genitalia and raised as a boy by her family, who call her Eddie. Nabors testified that Magidson strangled her with a rope and that Cazares struck her with a shovel,[11] but Nabors was returning from the garage and did not actually witness the act of strangulation. This publication will provide readers with the best true crime content on Medium. Many have since forgotten Gwen. [7], Araujo came out as transgender in 1999 at the age of 14, and began using the name Gwen after her favorite musician, Gwen Stefani, but also went by Wendy and Lida. [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". [30], Nabors received an 11-year sentence on August 25, 2006. [22], When Nabors and Cazares returned, Araujo was still conscious, bleeding from her head wound and sitting on the couch. After the jury was removed from the courtroom, bailiffs removed the defendants and locked the doors while they escorted Nabors to the stand. Make Muse | For Smart + Creative Young Women. The four defendants in the murder of Gwen Araujo are being sentenced to prison on January 27, 2006. Jose Merel, 36, was granted parole on Friday with the support of Guerrero, pending a review from the Board of Parole Hearings and Gov. The case became a rallying cry for transgender rights. [8] She began to grow her hair long and planned to undergo hormone treatment and surgery. Momsespecially momsif they knew the factsyou'd be surprised. Over the course of the trial, defense attorney Tony Serra, who represented Jason Cazares, attacked the credibility of Jaron Nabors, whom he accused of being the primary aggressor and blaming his friends for the murder. Cherished brother to Pearl and Jesus Serrano of C If they actually did know, then why did they kill her? [8], The Alameda County Sheriff's Office dispatched four crime scene investigators and two detectives to recover Araujo's body from the grave site. [51] Magidson, Merl, and Cazares were charged with first-degree murder with hate-crime enhancements.[52]. Emmanuel Merel testified he tried to get Araujo out of the house but was stopped by the other men. Sylvia Guerrero has faced hardship since Araujo's death. The men become enraged and Magidson punched Araujo. The other two, Jaron Nabors and Jason Cazares, took plea bargains to voluntary manslaughter. Activists decry the decision as a setback for transgender rights. All Rights Reserved. She was calm about it.. I went to high school with you, and you were on the football team. LGBTQ+ resources are available: abc7news.com/TakeAction. The jury deadlocked 7-5 in favor of convicting Magidson on a first-degree murder charge. Gwen Amber Rose Araujo was a teenager who lived in Newark, California. Her face lit up, said Lopez, who came out to Gwen in high school. Just let her go. Magidson, Jos Merl, Cazares and Nabors then drove four hours to the Silver Forks campground in El Dorado National Forest to buy Araujo's body. [31] Merl was concerned with cleaning Araujo's blood off the couch[30] and carpet before retreating to his room so the others would not see him crying.[23]. [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". [11] The night they met Araujo, she flirted with all four men and they smoked marijuana together. Jury selection for the trial of Magidson, Jos Merl, and Cazares began on March 15, 2004. I don't think most jurors are going to think it's OK to engage someone in sexual activity knowing they assume you have one sexual anatomy when you don't. Socially Sad and Mentally Arrogant: Boys Locker Room, The AFL-CIO must end union representation of law enforcement. It was just a passing thought, and no one took it seriously, he said. [34] Confronted with the recording, Nabors agreed to lead authorities to the body[30] on October 15. It was shocking, Guerrero said. [23] Merl also said he thought she was still alive until he saw her body in the bed of Magidson's truck. He walked alone to a 7- Eleven store, bought a pack of gum and went to a friend's house to spend the night, he said. ". 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 . She is born with male genitalia and raised as a boy by her family, who call her Eddie. Magidson also testified and under cross-examination said he received oral sex from Araujo the night she was killed. I dont have my nails done. [68] By 2005, Guerrero had spoken to more than 20 schools. They are 22-year-old Michael Magidson, 22-year-old Jos Merl, 22-year-old Jason Cazares, and 19-year-old and Jaron Nabors. "I didn't understand. [22] Brown testified that she warned Araujo that the men were "very angry", but upon exiting through the front door, Araujo was confronted and forced back inside the house by Magidson, Nabors, and Cazares. 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. Defendants could not claim they were provoked into committing a murder because of the victim's gender identity or sexual orientation. 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. If you or a loved one are experiencing a mental health crisis and need to connect with a qualified LGBTQ+ crisis responder. In court, two of the men who strangled, beat and buried the trans teenager claimed gay panic.. Court adjourned Thursday before Nabors could begin describing the night of the slaying. Her father was a mushroom farmer for the Campbell Soup Company in Pescadero, where she was raised. [39][40][41] At the first trial, defense attorney Tony Serra accused Nabors of writing the letter knowing it would be intercepted and implicate Cazares. 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