A year after Araujo's death, her mother accepts an award from the Horizons Foundation to speak at local schools and promote a better understanding of transgender people. If you or a loved one are experiencing a mental health crisis and need to connect with a qualified LGBTQ+ crisis responder. A shrine to Gwen Araujo, who was murdered at age 17 in 2002 by four men who discovered she was transgender, rests in her mother's home in Tracy, Calif., on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022. [30] After this, the defendants' testimonies diverge. Magidson, Jos Merl and Nabors were arraigned for Araujo's murder in a Fremont courtroom. We still have a long way to go, because people like Gwen are still being murdered for whothey are and theresfamilies who are suffering like we are, said Guerrero, 52. [11] The night they met Araujo, she flirted with all four men and they smoked marijuana together. [36], After he was arrested, Nabors wrote a letter to a girlfriend in which he stated the defendants had discussed a "Soprano-type plan" to "kill the b and get rid of her body". The 17-year-old from the San Francisco Bay Area was beaten, punched and eventually choked to death when several men discovered she was a transgender woman. [13][14] She claimed to be menstruating and during sex would push her partners' hands away from her genitalia to prevent them from discovering that she had a penis. [15], During the February 2003 indictment proceedings, Nabors gave a detailed account of the murder and burial. At another point, he consoled his brother, Jose Merel, who was crying. And Im still learning.. Justice for Araujo was delayed. Police arrest a fourth suspect in Araujo's murder, Jason Cazares. After the initial deluge of sympathy letters stopped arriving and donations dried up, Guerrero was left with an eviction notice, no source of income and unimaginable trauma. Some call her mom., She didnt die in vain. The four accused of the murder were: Michael Magidson, 22; Jaron Nabors, 19; Jos Merl, 22; and Paul Merl, Jose's older brother. [2] She was murdered by four men, two of whom she had been sexually intimate with, who beat and strangled her after discovering that she was transgender. According to Nabors, Magidson "wasn't sure if Lida had died from twisting the rope, but once Jason hit her twice with the shovel, he knew she was dead". Araujo was born with male genitalia but her immediate family noticed early on. Charges against Paul Merel were dropped the following day. Guerrero looked after her 10 younger siblings while her parents worked, getting them ready for school and packing their lunches. Jos Merl, who cried in anguish about having sex with Araujo, then struck her with a frying pan and a can of food. [25][31] Nabors testified that Magidson's assault was so severe it left a dent in the wall and cracked the plaster. A comprehensive rundown Gwen Amber Rose Araujo (February 24, 1985 - October 4, 2002 [1]) was an American teenager who was murdered in Newark, California. An estimated 3,000 marched from Dolores Park to Civic Center where a rally was held. Then while Araujo was in the bathroom, Brown went inside, grabbed her crotch, and reportedly shouted to the group, "It's a man.". Deputy District Attorney Chris Lamiero announced he will seek a second trial. The 17-year-old from the San Francisco Bay Area was punched, beaten and eventually strangled to death when several men discovered she was a transgender woman. At one point, he said, he saw Magidson choking Araujo and pulled Magidson's arm off the victim. The elderly woman was a victim of recent storms. Jose Merel, 36, was granted parole on Friday with the support of Guerrero, pending a review from the Board of Parole Hearings and Gov. She was loving, vibrant, and beautiful. She was cremated, and her mother Sylvia Guerrero retained the urn with her ashes. Jerry Brown. Gwen loved going to the city because she could be herself there.. [Gwen] lived every day of her life yearning and longing to be a girl in every sense of the word, so if anyone who didn't know her made her feel that way, why would she reveal that she is transgender? We invite you to use our commenting platform to engage in insightful conversations about issues in our community. Fred Phelps and the members of Phelps's Westboro Baptist Church ( who also made an appearance in our last article) promised to picket the funeral but thankfully did not. What Araujo did not know was that these four had already suspected that she was trans, and . "[15][24] Jos Merl became angry and struck her in the head with a can of food, denting the can and opening a cut on her head,[24] and then he struck her again with a frying pan. All Rights Reserved. When Gwen was murdered that night, it was the beginning of a life sentence for me and my family, Guerrero said. July 4, 1999 At age 14, Eddie tells his mom. Sylvia Guerrero had never heard the word transgender until four men murdered her daughter. It was a beautiful conversation that Ill always cherish, Guerrero said. The 17-year-old from the San Francisco Bay Area was punched, beaten and eventually strangled to death when several men discovered she was a transgender woman. She held her gaze as tears welled in her eyes. She says she receives emails from all over the world. Nabors described how Araujo had locked lips with all four of the men that night to blow marijuana smoke into their mouths in what he described as a "power hit." We might permanently block any user who abuses these conditions. [9][10] Her older sister said that she was bullied in junior high school because of her voice and bearing. [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). Bevan Dufty is the lead organizer for Tuesdays event and has known Guerrero for years. The 17-year-old from the San Francisco Bay Area was punched, beaten and. Just let her go. Prosecuting attorney Lamiero used male pronouns and her birth name to refer to Araujo, saying the defendants had decided "that the wages of [Gwen] Araujo's sin of deception were death". a GoFundMe page that raises donations on her behalf. LGBTQ+ resources are available: abc7news.com/TakeAction. "The first time I saw makeup smeared, I was yelling, 'What's wrong with you?'" [15][21][22][25] Araujo begged the men to stop, saying "No, please don't. 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. Cherished brother to Pearl and Jesus Serrano of CA, Rachel Araujo of Bakersfield, Brandon Guerrero-Bacot of Newark and Michael West of. Vigils and marches seeking justice for Araujo were held in several San Francisco Bay Area cities. Sylvia is the mother of Gwen Araujo. He pleaded to involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 11 years in prison. The defense maintains Araujo tricked the defendants into sexual relations. She says she is excited to return to actively working on the cause. I still call her mom when I talk to her.. According to court testimony, Araujo, whom the men knew a Lida, engaged in sexual activity with Michael Magidson and Jos Merl. [34][49] While the jury agreed that Araujo had been murdered, they could not agree whether it was premeditated. A recent family photograph shows Eddie Araujo holding his niece Arianna. Eddie then began transitioning as a woman and called herself Gwen, after her favorite singer Gwen Stefani. Lesser included offense for Cazares and Merl. [48] During his testimony, Nabors said he felt his friends had been raped, since Araujo (whom he referred to as male) "did not come clean with being what he really was. At first, she didn't know how to talk about it. But I trust juries to understand that people don't get to make life or death decisions simply based on someone's lifestyle. On Tuesday, Sylvia Guerrero will step into the spotlight once again to keep her daughters legacy alive. Ill never forget the day Sylvia opened the door to her house, said Bernal, now a single mother of seven. [62] Attorney Gloria Allred represented Araujo's family. They viciously beat and strangled Gwento death at a Newark house party on Oct. 4,2002, after they confirmed she was biologically male. The Civic Remembrance and call to action for Gwen Araujo will be held Tuesday, Oct. 4, from 4-6 p.m. at San Francisco Main Librarys Koret Auditorium. [82], Gwen Araujo Memorial Transgender Education Fund. [12], Nabors and Cazares left in Magidson's truck to retrieve shovels and a pickaxe from Cazares's house,[25][28] saying as they left the Merl house that the other men were going to "kill that b". Gwens murder and Guerreros advocacy have led to legislative change. According to court testimony, Araujo, who presented herself as Lida, engaged in sexual acts with Magidson and his friend, 22-year-old Jose Merel. Curating the best of The Standards top-notch reporting, every Saturday. Gwen Araujo was a 17-year-old transgender teenager who lived in Newark, Calif. with her mother, Sylvia Guerrero. | Olivia Cruz Mayeda/The Standard Guerrero always knew Gwen's relationship to her gender was different from other kids. [34] Confronted with the recording, Nabors agreed to lead authorities to the body[30] on October 15. The men become enraged and Magidson punched Araujo. Editors note: A previous version of this story incorrectly noted that Sylvia Guerrero was the youngest of her siblings. She was calm about it.. [19][42][43] During the formal entry of his plea, Judge Kenneth Burr warned Nabors that he could still be charged with murder if prosecutors found he was not "living up to your end of the bargain". Stuff like that. Watch the ABC7 Originals documentary, "Being Gwen: A Life and Death Story," streaming now in the video player below. She cant afford the surgery to remove an IUD that should have been taken out in 2005 and has painfully embedded itself in her uterus. Transgender activists attended the trial and condemned the strategy to blame Araujo for her own death. She lives in this prison in her own mind.". Gwen Araujo was a 17-year-old transgender teenager who lived in Newark, Calif. with her mother, Sylvia Guerrero. Especially in today's society, she would have been rejected if not harmed had she been so open about it. [8], Araujo first met Michael Magidson, Jos Merl, Jaron Nabors, and Jason Cazares in late August or early September 2002. The law requires that juries must be informed that they are forbidden from making decisions based on any victim's gender or sexual orientation. He left, along with his brother Paul and his girlfriend, while Araujo was bloodied in the living room. Through this fund, Sylvia Guerrero and her family spoke in middle and high schools about transgender awareness and understanding. 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