gwen araujo brother

[78][79] The law further restricted the use of the gay/trans panic defense by amending California's manslaughter statute to prohibit defendants from claiming that they were provoked to murder by discovering a victim's sexual orientation or gender identity. Bevan Dufty is the lead organizer for Tuesdays event and has known Guerrero for years. Merl refused to answer the prosecutor's questions about how Araujo died. Some of the trans people say they were thinking of committing suicide before seeing Gwens story. He left, along with his brother Paul and his girlfriend, while Araujo was bloodied in the living room. Loving son to Sylvia Guerrero of Newark and Edward Araujo of Brawley. I feel like he forced them into homosexual sex, and my definition of rape was being forced into sex." SFs most important stories, delivered straight to your inbox, Sylvia Guerrero, whose transgender daughter Gwen Araujo was murdered in 2002, sits for a portrait with a photo of her daughter on Saturday, Oct.1, 2022, in Tracy, Calif. Araujo, who spent a lot of time in San Francisco as a teenager, was beaten and strangled to death in Newark, Calif., when she was 17 years old. The 17-year-old from the San Francisco Bay Area was punched, beaten and. In her death, shes allowed me to see how much I took for granted, Guerrero said. Jaron Nabors pleads guilty to voluntary manslaughter and agrees to testify against his three friends in exchange for an 11 year prison term. The four defendants in the murder of Gwen Araujo are being sentenced to prison on January 27, 2006. The jury finds Michael Magidson and Jos Merl guilty of second-degree murder. With content streaming every single day, readers can turn to The Crime Center to fill their true crime needs. Deputy District Attorney Chris Lamiero announced he will seek a second trial. 2501 into law. The ABC7 Originals documentary, "Being Gwen: A Life and Death Story," focuses on the struggles she faced early in life, her gender transition as a young teenager, and the tragic events in October 2002 that led to her death. Even though it took time to adjust to the change, soon they started to see and accept Araujo as a woman. In 2002, she would be brutally murdered by a group of men who uncovered that she was transgender. Guerrero has survived in part from a GoFundMe page that raises donations on her behalf. Eddie then began transitioning as a woman and called herself Gwen, after her favorite singer Gwen Stefani.According to court testimony, Araujo, whom the men knew a Lida, engaged in sexual . [7], Araujo came out as transgender in 1999 at the age of 14, and began using the name Gwen after her favorite musician, Gwen Stefani, but also went by Wendy and Lida. Cazares and Nabors have long been out of custody. I cant afford it.. Justice for Araujo was delayed. As they were burying her, the men continued to disparage her. The four men were outside talking and smoking when Nabors asked, "Could this be a dude?" Socially Sad and Mentally Arrogant: Boys Locker Room, The AFL-CIO must end union representation of law enforcement. 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Sunseri said. A psychologist called by the defense tells the jury that a young man is likely to panic and overreact with violence if he finds out that a woman he was sexually intimate with turns out to be biologically male. Morbidology Podcast The article continues below Morbidology is a weekly true crime podcast created and hosted by Emily G. Thompson. Nabors, testifying for the prosecution, stated that Magidson admitted to strangling Araujo. Sylvia was relentless, Dufty said. Over the course of the teens life, Guerrero learned how to better support her daughter in a transphobic world. [65][66], At the request of Guerrero, a judge posthumously changed the victim's legal name to Gwen Amber Rose Araujo on June 23, 2004. TIMELINE: How the murder of transgender teenager Gwen Araujo unfolded. And Im still learning.. Sylvia honors Gwen, and transgender victims of hate crimes everywhere, by speaking out. Activists decry the decision as a setback for transgender rights. (AP Photo/Anda Chu, Pool) POOL PHOTO, Defendant Jose Merel listens to the testimony of his younger brother, Emmanuel Merel, during Jose Merel's murder trial in Alameda Superior Court on Thursday, April 21, 2004, in Hayward, Calif. Emmanuel Merel testified that he tried to push Eddie "Gwen" Araujo that he tried to push her out the door to safety in the chaos that followed the discovery that she was biologically male. "I didn't understand. [80], Jason Cazares was released from prison in July 2012. Police then question Nabors, Magidson and Jos Merl. Feb. 24, 1985At age 14, Eddie tells his mom that he feels like a girl trapped in a boy's body. While Merl expressed deep sorrow and regret to Araujo's family, Magidson was angry about his verdict and expressed "no remorse" for his role in murdering Araujo, according to presiding Judge Harry Sheppard. [23] Merl also said he thought she was still alive until he saw her body in the bed of Magidson's truck. Cazares pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter in exchange for a six-year sentence after two juries couldnt agree ona verdict. [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. Edward "Gwen" Araujo, Jr. of Newark entered into rest Thursday, October 3, 2002. She got a grant from the Horizons Foundation to speak at schools about what it is like to raise a transgender child and the challenges transgender youth face in society. Check out Bay Area safety tracker, Bay Area Life; Sundays at 6:30 p.m. on ABC7, How the murder of transgender teenager Gwen Araujo unfolded. Jerry Brown. [75], In September 2014, California Governor Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill No. "Mike and Jaron were in front of the door," Merel testified in a Hayward courtroom. "I know that their force is what stopped us from getting her out of the house.". Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. He took the stand Thursday afternoon -- his 21st birthday -- and described how, the first night he met Araujo that summer, he had gotten the "crazy idea" she might have been a man. [51] Magidson, Merl, and Cazares were charged with first-degree murder with hate-crime enhancements.[52]. On the night of Oct. 3, the men decided to confront Araujo about their suspicions during a party at the house Jose Merel shared with younger brother, Emmanuel, and older brother, Paul, who also previously engaged in sexual acts with Araujo. During Magidson's testimony, a tape of his initial interview with the police was shown, in which an investigator was recorded coaching him to use the trans panic defense: "You'd be surprised. Gwensmurder spurred the first Trans March in 2003. Cherished brother to Pearl and Jesus Serrano of C When asked how she forced them, Nabors answered, "Through deception. Gwen Araujo is born to Sylvia Guerrero and Edward Araujo. She was cremated, and her mother Sylvia Guerrero retained the urn with her ashes. This is a carousel. Gwens murder played no small part inthe ongoing movement against trans violence and forequality and understanding, said Isa Noyola of theTransgender Law Center. July 4, 1999 At age 14, Eddie tells his mom. Late in the night, the men demanded that Araujo drop her pants to prove she was not a man. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. All Rights Reserved. She lives in this prison in her own mind.". Emmanuel Merel said it was Michael Magidson and Jaron Nabors -- who has pleaded guilty to manslaughter -- who had physically prevented him from pushing Araujo outside to safety. Jos Merl, who cried in anguish about having sex with Araujo, then struck her with a frying pan and a can of food. I always have.. When they killed her, Guerrero said, they killed a part of me.. [52] Serra also argued that Cazares took no active role in killing her. Gwen, often called a woman, was really just a 90-pound girl withno chance against the four drunken youngmen, including two who had been sexually intimate with her, Guerrero said. Araujo had been hogtied, bludgeoned, strangled to death, and then transported to the remote location to be buried beneath rocks in a shallow grave, The Mercury News reported. 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. Sylvia Guerrero is seen in San Francisco on Thursday, Oct. 13, 2016. Araujo's murder was compared to the brutal death of Matthew Shepard four years earlier in Laramie, Wyoming. Referring to Araujo as Lidathe name she had used with themNabors testified that he saw Magidson raising the rope to her neck before he left the garage and that Magidson later told the others "that he had wrapped the rope around Lida's neck and twisted it." [50], The second trial began on May 31, 2005. With credit for time served, he was expected to spend approximately five years in jail from that point on. Gwens mother is one of the victims that transphobic violence leaves behind. Michael Magidson, 23, Jose Merel, 24, and Jason Cazares, 24, are on trial for murder in the killing of the 17-year-old Araujo. HANDOUT PHOTO ALSO RAN 10/22/02, 11/19/02, 12/22/02, 10/4/2003, Emmanuel Merel, the younger brother of defendant Jose Merel, testifies in the Eddie "Gwen" Araujo murder trial in Alameda Superior Court Thursday, April 21, 2004, in Hayward, Calif. Emmanuel testified that he tried to push the teenager out the door to safety in the chaos that followed the discovery of Araujo's gender. Below is a timeline of how Gwen's life and death unfolded. Nobody reported the murder of Gwen Araujo. She is born with male genitalia and raised as a boy by her family, who call her Eddie. | Olivia Cruz Mayeda/The Standard, By clicking Subscribe you confirm you have read and agree to our. San Mateo County could soon expand direct cash payments to some of its poorest residents, Pittsburg could soon see road and school crosswalk improvements, Opinion: What I learned about myself at the Richard Nixon Library, USC uses defense to upset No. Transgender activists attended the trial and condemned the strategy to blame Araujo for her own death. Gwen Araujo was a 17-year-old transgender woman from Newark, California. [39][40][41] At the first trial, defense attorney Tony Serra accused Nabors of writing the letter knowing it would be intercepted and implicate Cazares. The younger brother of one of three men accused of killing a Newark transgender teen testified Thursday that he had tried to rescue Gwen Araujo but had been stopped by one of the men and the. Sylvia Guerrero had never heard the word transgender until four men murdered her daughter. "She had no problem flirting.". They had met her walking in the middle of the street, drinking a beer. Jos Merl testified and admitted he was ignorant about his thinking about sexuality at the time of the murder. If it's a man, she ain't gonna leave. Gwen Araujo was a transgender teenager from the SF Bay Area who was killed 20 years ago by men who claimed they were deceived by her sexual identity. NEWARK, Calif., -- The murder of Gwen Araujo in 2002 marked a turning point in the fight for transgender rights. We have a long way to go before a trans person can be free to live their lives, to live out their dreams and goals like they deserve.. At the same time, Gwen's mother suffered from PTSD from the trial. East Bay native Malaika Fraley is an award-winning criminal justice reporter and formerly covered courts for the Bay Area News Group. Araujo was born with male genitalia but her immediate family noticed early on. On the night of Oct. 3, 2002, Araujo attended a party at a house rented by Jos and Paul Merl. The Gwen Araujo murder trial begins in a Hayward courtroom. [8] Police did not initially take the missing persons case seriously partly because she was transgender,[9] and she was known to stay away from home overnight. Araujo was born with male genitalia but her immediate family noticed early on that she identified more easily with being a girl than a boy. Magidson, 24, of Fremont and Jason Cazares and Jose Merel, both 24 and from Newark, are being tried on murder and hate-crime charges and could face life in prison if convicted. NEWARK19E-C-18OCT02-MT-HO I have a family. Gwen Amber Rose Araujo was a teenager who lived in Newark, California. Her family reported her missing, but police had no information about her disappearance until Nabors told a close friend about what happened. [31] Merl was concerned with cleaning Araujo's blood off the couch[30] and carpet before retreating to his room so the others would not see him crying.[23]. [61][81], Michael Magidson said he was not ready for release at his parole board hearing in 2016, and his request for parole was also opposed by Guerrero. The younger brother of one of three men accused of killing a Newark transgender teen testified Thursday that he had tried to rescue Gwen Araujo but had been stopped by one of the men and the prosecution's star witness, who has accepted a plea deal for his role in the death. [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. Today marks the tenth anniversary of the brutal murder of transgender teenager Gwen Araujo in Newark, California. She is born with male genitalia and raised as a boy by her family, who call her Eddie. After the jury was removed from the courtroom, bailiffs removed the defendants and locked the doors while they escorted Nabors to the stand. As the escalator ascended to the street, Gwen transformed. The messages offer a glimpse into the government crackdown that spurred a UN probe into human rights abuses. The day after the mistrial, a judge grants a request by the mother of Gwen Araujo to legally change her name from Edward Araujo Jr. to Gwen Amber Rose Araujo. Here's what happened to Gwen Araujo, a transgender teen from the San Francisco Bay Area. A recent family photograph shows Eddie Araujo holding his niece Arianna. She lost her job as a legal assistant and ended up losing her home. During the trial, the defense maintained that Araujo deceived the men into non-consensual sex by not revealing her biological gender and that the men reacted out of rage when they killed her. [8] Nabors had confessed to a friend what the four had done shortly after returning from the grave site. Days before the 20-year anniversary of her daughters murder, Guerrero stood in front of the TV at her sons apartment in Tracy and flipped through generic photos of Pescaderos foggy coastline. Michael Magidson told a parole board on Wednesday that he wasnt ready for release. 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. Watch the ABC7 Originals documentary, "Being Gwen: A Life and Death Story," streaming now in the video player above.It's also available on the ABC Owned Television Stations' connected TV Apps: ABC7 Bay Area, ABC30 Central California, ABC7 Los Angeles, ABC7 New York, ABC7 Chicago, 6abc Philadelphia, ABC13 Houston, and ABC11 Raleigh-Durham. If you or a loved one are experiencing a mental health crisis and need to connect with a qualified LGBTQ+ crisis responder. 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. Theywere convicted at thesecond of two trials and sentenced to 15 years to life in prison. LGBTQ+ resources are available: abc7news.com/TakeAction, JetBlue plane bumps into another aircraft in JFK Airport's gate area, Father, son accused of animal cruelty after 26 cats found in LI home, NYC confronts the problem of unlicensed smoke shops. [46] Magidson's attorney said that his client was not biased[47] but had been shocked "beyond reason" to learn he had unwittingly had sex with a "man": a variant of the gay panic defense. Her face lit up, said Lopez, who came out to Gwen in high school. [20] Brown suggested that one of them should inspect Araujo, and Magidson took Araujo to the bathroom. Trans people are being killed in record numbers. She was the oldest of 11 children to immigrant parents from Irapuato, Mexico. I cant tell youhow many people have told me, because of your daughter, I am free to be who I am.. On their way home, they purchased breakfast at a McDonald's drive-through window. Lesser included offense for Cazares and Merl. Gwen Araujos brutal death two decades ago drew international attention and prompted the passage of a law in her name, as well as a movie about her life. Two of the men, Michael Magidson and Jose Merel were convicted of 2nd degree murder and face sentences of 15 years to life. Turn it off, turn it off, turn it off a male is repeating.. Why Are We Indifferent to Male Rape Victims. [82], Gwen Araujo Memorial Transgender Education Fund. "[15] According to Nabors, Magidson added "I don't know what I'm going to do", and Nabors replied, "Whatever you do, make sure you don't make a mess. And likely even more have forgotten the woman at the center of the media storm and trial proceedings that followed: Gwens mother. [12], Jos Merl vomited upon learning Araujo was anatomically male, then began to cry in disbelief,[23] saying "I can't be f gay. Ciara-Kiona Purvis September 11, 2022 Interpersonal Communication A Girl Like Me: The Gwen Araujo Story A Girl Like Me: The Gwen Araujo story is based on a true story. He is the younger brother of Ketan, a music producer in London. Most people in their neighborhood called her mom.. Jaron Nabors. Copyright 2023 KGO-TV. In at least one of the trials, a "trans panic defense"an extension of the gay panic defensewas employed. "[15] Brown testified that she tried to comfort Merl after the discovery, saying "It's not your fault. 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. Beto Lopez, Gwens childhood friend, remembered sneaking out of the house in their hometown of Newark to go to San Francisco Pride with Gwen in 2000. Araujo also became an inspiration in the transgender community. 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. Michael Magidson and Jos Merl were sentenced to 15 years to life for killing Gwen Araujo. Years later, Jerry Brown signed legislation as governor that banned the defense strategy altogether. The law requires that juries must be informed that they are forbidden from making decisions based on any victim's gender or sexual orientation. | Olivia Cruz Mayeda/The Standard Guerrero always knew Gwen's relationship to her gender was different from other kids. Vigils and marches seeking justice for Araujo were held in several San Francisco Bay Area cities. After Araujo was knocked unconscious, Magidson bound her wrists and ankles, then she was wrapped in a comforter to minimize the amount of blood staining the carpet, before being carried to the garage of the home. It was a beautiful conversation that Ill always cherish, Guerrero said. Guerrero remembers Araujo telling her, "I don't feel like a boy. [30], Magidson testified that it was instead Nabors who strangled her and struck her with the shovel,[32] and Cazares testified that he never struck her and did not see her die. 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. [30], Nabors received an 11-year sentence on August 25, 2006. I went to high school with you, and you were on the football team. [75][76][77] The law limited the use by criminal defendants of the "gay/trans panic defense" by allowing parties to instruct jurors not to let bias influence their decisions, including "bias against the victim" based on his or her "gender identity, or sexual orientation". As she struggles to heal and support herself, Guerrero has also found a deep appreciation for the impact of Gwens life. Gwen was 14 when she and Guerrero were painting their nails in bed, and Gwen told her mom that she didnt feel like a boy. Gwen Amber Rose Araujo (February 24, 1985 - October 4, 2002) [1] was an American trans teenager who was murdered in Newark, California at the age of 17. On their living room sofa, Guerrero and her daughter planned out the future. [12] Magidson, Nabors, and Jos Merl were charged with murder on October 17 and held without bail. [15][16], Nicole Brown, who was dating Paul Merl (Jos's older brother) and was acquainted with Araujo, said that she and Araujo had engaged in a physical fight after Brown challenged Araujo to strip for the men. By this time, Araujo's mother was able to legally change her daughter's name to Gwen Amber Rose Araujo. The jury deadlocked 9-3 in favor of also convicting Jason Cazares. On October 4, 2002, four young men brutally murdered a beautiful, 17-year-old transgender teenager named Gwen Araujo. Seventeen states now have bans on the use of gay and trans panic defenses. They viciously beat and strangled Gwento death at a Newark house party on Oct. 4,2002, after they confirmed she was biologically male. Nabors was initially charged with murder, too, but he agreed to testify against his friends in exchange for an 11-year sentence. This is where I sleep now, she said, pointing to the bare floor of her sons living room. The second trial began on May 31, 2005. The letter was intercepted by sheriff's officials[15] and led to the arrest of Cazares on November 19. Gwen felt most accepted as a trans woman in San Francisco, according to her mother. [15][29] Brown recalled that after she had left with Paul Merl, they drove around the block and returned to the house to see Nabors and Cazares leaving in Magidson's truck. Did the men REALLY not know the truth about Gwen? Araujo's funeral is held at St. Edward's Catholic Church in Newark. "[14], The first trial ended in a mistrial on June 22 following nine days of deliberations, when the jurors were unable to reach a unanimous decision for the three men. 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. [53], To avoid a third trial, Cazares pleaded no contest to manslaughter on December 16, 2005,[60] and was sentenced to six years in prison,[61] with credit for time already served. Fourteen years later, the twomen convicted of second-degree murder faced a parole board for the first time this week in a world more aware of what it means to be a transgender person and the dangers the trans community faces. [22] Emmanuel Merl testified that he also tried to escort Araujo away from the house, but was prevented by Magidson and Nabors. Her mother found it to be odd but did not put much thought into it. Before Gwens death, Guerrero was a legal assistant and had a 401(k) pension account. Sylvia Guerrero spoke at the first Trans March held on the Friday before the Pride Parade in San Francisco. Cazares and Nabors were also at the house, as was Paul Merl's girlfriend, Nicole Brown. Gwen Araujo was born on February 24, 1985, in Brawley, California, to Edward Araujo and Sylvia Guerrero. She frequently encounters psychological triggers that derail her days. A driverless Waymo vehicle nearly drove itself right into a trench at a San Francisco construction site, an Instagram video posted Friday shows. A comprehensive rundown [8], Paul Merl was released after Brown and Emmanuel Merl told the police that he had left the scene with them. Stuff like that. [19], TransVision, a comprehensive health and social services program for transgender people in Alameda County, was founded in 2002 and operated by Tri-City Health Center after the murder of Gwen Araujo. It had deadlocked on Cazares, voting 93 in favor of convicting him for murder. In announcing the bill's introduction they cited the murder of Araujo and the 2008 murder of gay California teen Larry King. Merl testified that Nabors was responsible for the major head injuries to Araujo, but supported the assertion that Magidson had strangled her. She held her gaze as tears welled in her eyes. [12] Later, she engaged in oral sex with Magidson and anal sex with Merl. He also said that he and Jose Merel had been alone in a bedroom with Araujo, where they engaged in some flirtatious petting. At age 14, Eddie tells his mom that he feels like a girl trapped in a boy's body. Earlier in the day, Alameda Superior Court Judge Harry R. Sheppard ordered the media not to photograph Nabors. The men become enraged and Magidson punched Araujo. [58], Lamiero had undermined criminal intent by commenting, "Gwen being transgender was not a provocative act. Loves to Read. Gwen was a vibrant transgender teenager who was murdered in Newark, California in October 2002. AB 2501 became the first state law in the nation to prohibit the use of the "gay panic" or "trans panic" defenses. [45] In his opening statement, the defense attorney for Magidson argued that he should not be charged with murder, rather manslaughter at worst, under California law. The men became suspicious that Araujo was not biologically female because she did not let them touch her genitalia. Eddie then began transitioning as a woman and called herself Gwen, after her favorite singer Gwen Stefani.According to court testimony, Araujo, whom the men knew . Magidson was called out for being unrepentant at his sentencing and still has not shown remorse, according to Guerrero. Merel, who has expressed remorse from the beginning, admitted Friday that back then he felt more sorry for himself. Merl was granted early parole in 2016, after reportedly showing extensive remorse to Araujo's mother, who supported the decision. Feb. 24, 1985At age 14, Eddie tells his mom that he feels like a girl trapped in a boy's body. The jury is unable to reach a guilty verdict and the judge declares mistrial. [30] At some point, the assault resumed. The four accused of the murder were: Michael Magidson, 22; Jaron Nabors, 19; Jos Merl, 22; and Paul Merl, Jose's older brother. At first, she didnt know how to talk about it. She taught them how to pick wild blackberries and catch salmon from the creek by their house, a place still close to her heart. At the sentencing of the suspects, Araujo's mother, Sylvia Guerrero, said that the murder and court process (which lasted three years) had taken an emotional toll on her and that it had affected her relationship with her children. [9][10] Her older sister said that she was bullied in junior high school because of her voice and bearing. Now its a huge trans event that kicks off the San Francisco Pride weekend. [76], Jaron Nabors was released from prison some time before 2016. The jury deadlocked 10-2 in favor of acquitting Cazares and Merel of first-degree murder. [8] According to The Start, Jogia was a student at Killarney Secondary School until age 17 when he left to pursue acting full-time, having already gained a number of small television credits. [75][76][77] The law put California on record as declaring it contrary to public policy for defendants to be acquitted or convicted of a lesser included offense on the basis of appeals to "societal bias". Araujo was eventually strangled to death with a rope, tied up and taken by four of the men -- Jose Merel, Magidson, Cazares and Nabors -- in the back of a pickup truck to a camping area in the El Dorado National Forest where they buried her body. At an early age, he started putting on his mom's makeup and wearing his mom's clothes. One of the many factors that parole boards consider is the impact on the victims family. The Alameda County coroner's report said Araujo died by strangulation and blunt force trauma to the head. Only charge for Nabors. "[20] Brown said the four men were out at a club together and did not return to the house until after midnight. Neither defendants was convicted of a hate crime. Nabors took the stand under tight security. Now at 58, she wears flip-flops and jean shorts. "When Gwen was murdered that night, it was the beginning of a life sentence for me and my family," Guerrero told the publication. Guerreros communityalong with members of the LGBTQ+ communityhas rallied to help support her, raising almost $25,000 to help her pay her bills over the last seven years. Copyright 2023 KGO-TV. NEWARK, Calif., -- The murder of Gwen Araujo in 2002 marked a turning point in the fight for transgender rights. One of the defense attorneys explained the last question had specifically asked if prospective jurors had watched the film Boys Don't Cry or the play The Laramie Project, but was changed over defense concerns that by being so specific, those who had not would be prompted to watch them. The night of Oct. 3, 2002, Araujo 's funeral is held at St. Edward 's Catholic in... Her eyes Matthew gwen araujo brother four years earlier in Laramie, Wyoming Podcast created hosted... 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