Transgender Teen Caught Off Guard By Suspicions (Story Update)

kcal9.com ^

[chance33_98]

Transgender Teen Caught Off Guard By Suspicions

Witness Says 'Gwen' Was 'Shellshocked'

Apr 26, 2004 4:03 pm US/Pacific HAYWARD, Calif. (AP) Transgender teen Eddie "Gwen" Araujo appeared "shellshocked" the night the people she thought of as friends began demanding to know if she was male or female, a man who was at the house testified Monday.

Jaron Nabors said the pretty 17-year-old was beyond surprised at the questions, which arose when suspicions about Araujo's gender erupted on Oct. 3, 2002, following an evening of drinking.

"She seemed like she was in shock because she wasn't talking much," said Nabors, who is the prosecution's main witness in the trial of three men accused of killing Araujo.

Nabors, 21, initially was charged with murder but pleaded guilty to manslaughter and has been promised an 11-year sentence in exchange for testifying against Michael Magidson, 23, Jose Merel, 24, and Jason Cazares, also 24.

Prosecutors say Araujo was beaten and strangled after the men found out the girl they knew as Lida was biologically male. Her body was driven 150 miles east and buried in a shallow grave in a remote area near Lake Tahoe.

Jaron Nabors said the confrontation with Araujo, which took place at the Merel house in Newark, a San Francisco suburb, began abruptly when Merel started rubbing Araujo's throat, presumably looking for an Adam's apple, and angrily asked if Araujo was a woman or a man.

Nabors, Magidson and Cazares were calmer but joined in the questioning, Nabors said. "I recall it being said, 'Why don't you just answer the question. It's not a big deal,"' he testified. "I recall it being said, 'We like you. We think you're cool."'

Araujo didn't say much, although she turned to Merel and Magidson, with whom she previously had had sexual encounters according to Nabors, and said, "How can you ask me that?" Nabors testified.

The men tried to talk Araujo into physically revealing she was a woman but she resisted, saying, "I'm not going to let you molest me," according to Nabors.

She eventually agreed to go into a bathroom with one of the men, but on her way there veered toward the front door, saying she wanted to go outside and smoke a cigarette, Nabors said.

Nabors said he intervened, pulling the door shut and saying, "You can do that, but you've got to do this first."

Why? asked the prosecutor.

One reason, said Nabors, was that he thought Araujo would delay the showdown, which would annoy the people in the house more. The other: "Because I wanted to know."

[Temple Drake]

Why do news outlets play along with freaks -- calling a man "she"? He is a male. He maybe dressed up like a girl, and possibly sexually-mutilated in a pointless attempt to resemble a girl, but he can never BE a girl. So "she" is simply false.

[netmilsmom]

>>Araujo didn't say much, although she turned to Merel and Magidson, with whom she previously had had sexual encounters according to Nabors, and said, "How can you ask me that?" Nabors testified. <<

Huh????

And they didn't know? Had he had something removed?

[wideminded]

Her body was driven 150 miles east and buried in a shallow grave in a remote area near Lake Tahoe.

So the chalk line in the picture above has nothing to do with this story.

[ruiner]

Oral sex is sex ya know. ;)

But that depends on what the meaning of is is.

[CatoRenasci]

As revolted as I am by transvestites, I don't think they should be murdered. Fry these guys.

[heleny]

17-year-old

He might have still been in high school. If his parents and the schools had been more strict about not letting children claim either sex identity, maybe he would have been normal and still alive. Also with careful parents, he might not have been associating with bad people or smoking.

The Westminster school district in Orange County has the right idea about not agreeing to allow children to pretend to be the opposite sex. I wish more of the hundreds of other school districts in CA would act like Westminster S.D.

[mhking]

Murder is simply wrong.

And as opposed to condoning the murder of this individual, we should be decrying it.

I know that there are those here who are so wrapped up in some form of "hatred" of the transgendered individual, but does the Bible not say "Love the sinner, but condemn the sin?"

Just damn.

If you want on the list, FReepmail me. This IS a high-volume PING list...

[corkoman]

I think this is a very sad story.

[tiamat]

The voice of reason, as per usual.

[chance33_98]

Murder is simply wrong.

Aye. Now if we could just get the left to understand that and shut down the abortion clinics....

Had those boys been taught the gospel perhaps they would have preached the freedom Christ can bring to break the chains of his opression in his life. Instead, steeped in a country where Jesus is not wanted and kicked out of daily life in favor of sex and violence, they chose the devil's way of doing things.

[thoughtomator]

Yeah I'm sick of seeing every freak's self-delusions catered to as well.

[thoughtomator]

On the other hand, it's pretty clear that the victim was a sick freak at war with God, so while we should condemn the murder, we shouldn't act surprised.

[cyborg]

I'll bet they knew of her anatomical state biblically. These angry types usually are closet cases who express their murderous rage to cover up for their own 'issues'. Murder is WRONG and I find nothing humorous about this at all.

[netmilsmom]

Oooops! You're right!
I guess I need another cup of coffee.

[BadAndy]

History has shown repeatedly that straights HATE being conned into sex with transvestites/transexuals. Bad things then happen to the conner when the deception is revealed. Maybe such a deception should be considered comparable with rape.

[hellinahandcart]

All they had to do was let him leave, but no...

[trussell]

She was transgendered...she was born with parts of both sexes. She chose to be considered a girl. This doesn't sound to me like it was "playing along with freaks".