Retrial of Three Men Accused of Killing Transgender Teen Gets Underway
The retrial of three men accused of killing a transgender teen in the East Bay and then burying the body in a shallow grave near Placerville got underway Wednesday morning.
In his opening statement, prosecutor Chris Lamiero told the jury that the three 25-year-olds made a "conscious, calculated decision" to kill 17-year-old Eddie "Gwen" Araujo after discovering the teen was biologically male.
Lamiero said Michael Magidson, Jose Merel and Jason Cazares carried out the murder with "precision and with zeal." The prosecution is seeking to convict the trio of first-degree murder with a hate crime enhancement. The killing is classified as a hate crime because Araujo was transgendered. The three men are facing 29 years to life in prison, if convicted
Last year, a jury deadlocked when it was unable to decide between finding the defendants guilty of manslaughter or murder. Defense attorneys had argued that the three men were guilty only of manslaughter because Araujo was killed in a moment of panic after the trio determined they had been deceived about the teen's gender.
http://www.kxtv10.com/storyfull1.asp?id=11227-------
Freakin insane....