Josh Vallum was sentenced to life in prison for killing Williamson, a murder that remains under investigation by the Department of Justice to determine whether it is a hate crime.īen Brown told the Sun Herald Tuesday that he and the FBI Safe Streets Task Force have been giving the trans teen's death "a thorough investigation to bring justice to the victim's family." Reparto: Joshua Vallum, Destiny Allen, Ben Brown. a beautiful teenage transgender girl, Mercedes Williamson, is killed by her gang-member boyfriend Josh. The chilling picture that Steele paints between the lines of his film is of a young man who could not reconcile his internal paradoxes, and sought out a violent solution. So says Josh Vallum in the premiere episode of Love & Hate Crime, the true-crime docuseries that Investigation Discovery said today will premiere February 25. "We are trying to determine whether is drug-related, gang-related or a hate crime," he said. "These cases take time to work, and we are working on it as diligently as we can." Brown identified Williamson by her male birth name and did not mention that she was transgender, notes the newspaper. Once the investigation into her death has concluded, prosecutors will present evidence to a Mississippi grand jury, which will then decide whether to indict Vallum. District Attorney Tony Lawrence told the Herald that the grand jury is able to indict under the state's hate-crime statute. However, the statute does not refer to crimes committed against perceived gender identity, but rather "gender" - meaning the grand jury would have to interpret this provision to include a victim's transgender status. Vallum's motives still remain unclear, but the Herald has uncovered documentation indicating that he is a member of the Latin Kings street gang, as well as the fact that he lived near where Williamson shared a one-bedroom camper with 41-year-old roommate Jeanie Miller.
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