With public defender Brad Martin, left, at his side, Allen Andrade waits for the AP – With public defender Brad Martin, left, at his side, Allen Andrade waits for the jury to enter the courtroom …
By P. SOLOMON BANDA, Associated Press Writer P. Solomon Banda, Associated Press Writer – 12 mins ago

GREELEY, Colo. – A man who claimed he snapped before killing a transgender woman was swiftly convicted of first-degree murder and a hate crime Wednesday for savagely beating the woman with a fire extinguisher.

Allen Andrade, 32, of Thornton, was sentenced to life in prison without parole after being convicted of killing Angie Zapata, 18. The jury deliberated for just two hours before finding Andrade guilty.

In handing down the sentence, District Judge Marcelo Kopcow said he hoped Andrade thinks "about the violence and the brutality ... and the pain you caused not only your family, but the family of Angie Zapata."

The case was believed to be the first prosecution under Colorado's bias-crime statute for a crime involving a transgender person. Gay rights activists hope publicity from the case would pressure Congress to add sexual orientation and gender identity to a federal hate crime law.

Prosecutors had argued Andrade knew for hours that Zapata was biologically male and beat her to death because he disliked gays. They said Andrade had attended a court hearing with Zapata where court officials used her legal name, Justin.

A witness at that hearing also testified that when Zapata spoke, she sounded like a man trying to disguise his voice.

Andrade's attorney didn't deny that he killed Zapata, but said he had just learned Zapata's identity after spending hours with her and he lashed out without thinking. Defense attorney Annette Kundelius said Andrade and Zapata agreed to meet for sex after Zapata deceptively described herself as a straight female.

"This is not something that people plan for," she told jurors. "This isn't a situation where people know how they would act."

During the trial, prosecutors played recorded jail conversations where Andrade referred to Zapata as "it" and said it wasn't as if he "killed a straight, law-abiding citizen."

"His own statements in the jail call betray the way he values Angie's life, the way he thought of her as less than, less than us because of who she was," Chief Deputy District Attorney Robb Miller told jurors.

"Everyone deserves equal protection under the law and no one deserves to die like this," Miller said.

Kundelius said Andrade's statements were jokes made by a man who knew he was innocent.

"Was it in poor taste, was it a smart thing to say?" Kundelius asked jurors. "No. But it doesn't mean he committed murder."

Maria Zapata, the victim's mother, called the murder "a selfish act" by Andrade.

"But there is something that he can never take away is the love and the memories my family and I have of my baby, my beautiful, beautiful baby," she told the court before the sentencing.

Andrade's sister, Christina Cruz, said her family was "not supporting the outcome, but we do support him as my brother."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/a...er_slaying
[Edited 4/22/09 20:17pm]

His face looks creepy as hell....anyway....very sad.

Terribly written article. Doesn't explain the nature of the victim and defendant's relationship at all.

Nevertheless, what a horrible crime. I'm glad to see this conviction.

Sad and this happens quite often. Glad he was Convicted and sad for the victim's family.

Lammastide said:

You had to hunt for such an article, yesterday, and didn't really get that explanation but in earlier trial-coverage stories. Examiner stories have been pretty detailed.

she/he absolutely did NOT deserve to be killed

but she/he was ABSOLUTELY dead wrong for posing as the real thing when she/he knew damn well she/he was not!

however... from what this sounds like dude had a fetish and then had some regret about it and wild out afterwards

he knew for at least 36 hours!

lock that ass up 4evr

ThreadBare said:

Thanks for that lead, man.

Andrade downplayed the slaying, saying that it wasn't as if he "killed a straight, law-abiding citizen" and referring to Zapata as "it."


This kinda of talk scares me. Because a lot of people hate us (GBLT community) and are vocal about it, they think it's okay to hate and beat us.

MIGUELGOMEZ said:

They know it's wrong...