Daqua Lameek Ritter of New York City was sentenced to life in prison for the 2019 homicide of Pebbles LaDime “Dime” Doe, a transgender woman, on Oct. 17, 2024. The case made headlines in February 2024, when Ritter was originally found guilty, as the first instance in which the perpetrator of a hate crime against a transgender person was convicted by the federal government.

The New York Times reports that Ritter formed a connection with Doe, a hairdresser from Allendale, South Carolina, while visiting his grandmother there. Sources differ as to whether this relationship was romantic.

Around Allendale, rumors spread that Doe and Ritter had a sexual relationship. This enraged Ritter, who, according to the New York Times, threatened to harm Doe. Ultimately, on Aug. 4, 2019, Ritter drove Doe to a secluded area in Allendale, where he shot her three times in the head.

Afterward, prosecutors say Ritter burned the clothes he had worn while committing the murder and disposed of the gun. He also lied to investigators throughout their examination of Doe’s death.

At trial in February 2024, Ritter was found guilty of one count of hate crimes, one count of using a firearm in connection with Doe’s killing, and one count of obstruction of justice for lying to the investigators. He was sentenced to life in prison, despite requests for a more lenient sentence from Ritter’s lawyers and family, the Associated Press says. Thusfar, Ritter’s lawyers have not announced any plans to appeal the verdict.

This case has brought the first-ever guilty verdict and sentence to be obtained under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009. The act “extends federal hate crime prohibitions to crimes committed because of the actual or perceived religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability,” according to the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice. While other hate crimes have been prosecuted under the act, including Joshua Brandon Vaullum’s 2017 killing of transgender girl Mercedes Williamson, Ritter’s case is the first to achieve a conviction at the federal level, according to NBC News.

According to activist group the Human Rights Campaign, so far in 2024, “at least twenty-seven transgender and gender-expansive people” have been killed by hate crimes. According to HRC statistics, 48% of these were Black transgender women, 63% were killed with a gun, 38% were killed by a friend, relative or romantic or sexual partner, and 37% were identified with their wrong name or gender in the press. Doe’s death fits into all four of these categories (according to an MSNBC opinion article about the death, authorities originally used Doe’s incorrect name and pronouns).

The Advocate, a magazine focused on LGBTQ+ issues, points out that most hate crimes against transgender people are committed against trans people of color (especially Black trans women). According to the magazine, statistics on anti-trans hate crime casualties are frequently undercounted, in part because use of the victims’ birth names (which they may have since stopped using, though not legally changed) makes it harder to identify who has been killed

“I think it sets a precedent for future [prosecution of] hate crimes against transgender people, that the federal government will take it seriously, and prosecute people who attack people or [are] committing crimes because they’re transphobic or hateful,” Social Studies Department faculty member Pankaj Sharma said. 

However, Sharma adds that the results of the upcoming presidential election may also affect future hate crimes prosecution. 

“Whoever’s president appoints the Attorney General. The present Attorney General can set the tone for what types of crimes that they want to prioritize or focus on, or what types of marginalized groups they want to protect or not protect as much, and so, whoever wins the election, that could impact how the Justice Department looks at crimes like this in the future.”

“It’s nice that they’re starting to realize that [anti-trans hate crimes are] actually a problem,” said Michael Peters, a transgender junior.

“It is good that it has reached federal [level], at least once, but I think we’re very far away from it being a regular stance,” Peters commented on the U.S. government’s prosecution of hate crimes.