Colorado Man Sentenced 2 Death 4 Killing Of Transgender Woman!

A Colorado man by the name of, Allen Andrade (right-above), was convicted and sentenced 2 death 4 brutally murdering, Angie Zapata (left-above), a transgender woman he met over the Internet. This marks the 1st time a hate-crime law resulted in the conviction of a transgender person’s murder.

It took the jury 2 hours 2 return its verdict, which was praised by members of gay and transgender rights groups. "This is a landmark decision," Mindy Barton, the legal director of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center of Colorado, told CNN. Barton attended the trial daily. "Hearing 'guilty on 1st-degree murder' and 'guilty of bias-motivated crime' was an emotional experience 4 all the family, friends and supporters of Angie. She will not be forgotten."

Allen Andrade never denied killing Angie Zapata. His defense team argued 4 a lesser verdict, contending that he acted in the heat of passion after discovering Zapata was biologically male. Prosecutors referred 2 Zapata as "she" throughout the trial, while the defense referred 2 the transgender teen as "he." Defense attorney Annette Kundelius argued that "when [Andrade] met him, he met him as 'Angie.’ "When he found out it wasn't 'Angie,' that it was 'Justin,' he lost control." The jury was not convinced. "This was an ambush attack," said Chief Deputy District Attorney Robb Miller. "This was an all-out blitz." Zapata was "born in a boy's body but living as a female," added Miller. “Ultimately, she was murdered because of it."

Prosecutors argued that after Zapata, 18, and Andrade 32, met online last summer, they hooked up at Zapata’s apartment in Greeley, Colo., where they spent almost 3 days 2gether. While Zapata was away from the apartment, according 2 court documents, Andrade noticed some pictures that made him think Zapata might be a man, CNN reports. When Andrade confronted Zapata about her sexuality, she declared, "I am all woman." Andrade then grabbed Zapata and discovered male genitalia. Andrade told police he began pounding Zapata with his fists, and when she fell 2 the ground, he picked up a fire extinguisher and hit her in the head, the documents show.

Believing he had “killed it,” he told police, referring 2 Zapata, that he covered the body in a blanket and cleaned up the crime scene. But as he was about 2 depart, he said he heard “gurgling” sounds coming from the body, and then Zapata sat up. That’s when Andrade hit her again with the fire extinguisher, the affidavit says. The jury heard jailhouse phone conversations, including Andrade telling a girlfriend "gay things must die." He did not testify in his own defense.

Although Zapata may have mislead the 32 year old Andrade in 2 believing she was all woman, that still did not give him the right 2 take her life. No 1 has the right 2 take another person's life no matter what the situation, NO MATTER WHAT THE SITUATION! And how did Andrade not know that Zapata was transgendered after spending 3 days living with her? Maybe he feared that some 1 would find out who he was messing with, and killed her 2 cover his personal dealings? Either way, what he did was wrong and I'm glad Zapata and her family have received justice.

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