In South Carolina, a grim story unfolded with the sentencing of Daqua Ritter. On Thursday afternoon, a federal judge, Sherri Lydon, handed down a life sentence to Ritter for killing Dime Doe. This marked a historic moment as the first federal trial concerning a hate crime involving a transgender victim. The murder took place in August 2019 in Allendale County. Prosecutors proved that Ritter lured Doe to a secluded spot and shot her three times in the head.

        The trail lasted four days and concluded in February 2024 with a swift guilty verdict from the jury. Prosecutors skillfully demonstrated that Ritter’s motive was his fear of being ridiculed in their small, conservative community. To support their case, hundreds of text messages between the pair were crucial. The messages showed Ritter’s attempts to hide their relationship by requesting Doe to delete their conversations.

        In one message, Doe expressed her dissatisfaction with Ritter's lack of reciprocation for her generosity. He replied dismissively, suggesting their arrangement didn’t require extra favors. Another message revealed Ritter's discomfort with his main girlfriend finding out about his affair with Doe. This girlfriend, Delasia Green, testified that Ritter warned her not to question his sexuality.

        The texts, many of which were deleted, were obtained by the FBI. They provided key evidence to support the hate crime element of the trial. Ritter often used an app called TextNow, which provided a different phone number. This could help hide his communications. Ultimately, their texts painted a picture of a relationship tainted by fear and dishonesty, culminating in a tragic end.

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The Unseen Tragedy: A Life Sentence for a Transgender Murder

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