GUILTY MO - Ally Steinfeld, 17, transgender, murdered, Cabool, 3 Sept 2017 *Arrests*

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Ally Steinfeld, 17, was found dead last week in a rural area near a mobile home occupied by one of the suspects, the Associated Press reports. Both local and national media identified Steinfeld by a male name, but The TM Planet, a website focusing on transgender issues, identified her as Ally. She had been stabbed repeatedly, including in the genitals, and her eyes had been gouged out, according to the AP. Her body was burned in an attempt to conceal evidence of the crime.

“It is a grisly terrible series of heinous acts by the accused,” Texas County prosecutor Parke Stevens Jr. told the Houston Herald, a local paper. Steinfeld was apparently killed September 3, six days before her birthday, the paper reports. Her family had reported her missing September 14, having last heard from her September 1.

Much more at the links posted by darkstar above. (And it gets WAY WORSE, so be prepared.) (Thanks Darkstar for posting this one). Justice for Ally.
 
So awful.

The damage done to poor Ally definitely indicates her identification as transgender was a factor, so this absolutely should be a hate crime, IMO.
 
Sorry to double post, but this article says that one of the accused was dating Ally.

http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article175985496.html

Ally Steinfeld, 17, was a trans female who said in May on her Instagram account that she was coming out. Then, less than five months later, she was gruesomely killed at her girlfriend’s house. The girlfriend, who is among three charged with first-degree murder and other crimes, wanted her dead, according to interviews conducted by Texas County Sheriff’s investigators.Briana Calderas, 24, began dating Steinfeld about a week before her death, according to Amber Steinfeld, the slain girl’s mother.
“She was excited, talking about her and Briana meeting (the family),” Amber Steinfeld told The Star on Thursday. “She was happy.”
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Also how ridiculous that they went to get supplies to burn the body, but apparently there was still fairly obvious blood inside the home on the carpet.
 
We've entered a new era now with Trump as our POTUS: Hate and violence against minorities, Jews, independent women, and the LGBT Community is not only tolerated now, but in fact, is encouraged. Guns are seen as necessary aspects of our society, and owning several is a display of your power!


iliketotalk15 said:
So awful.

The damage done to poor Ally definitely indicates her identification as transgender was a factor, so this absolutely should be a hate crime, IMO.
Click to expand...
 
This is a disgusting crime. How sad
 
As questions swirl about why Steinfeld was killed in such a ghastly manner, authorities are not saying what led to her murder. However, they have dismissed the possibility her death was a hate crime. Both Sheriff James Sigman and prosecutor Parke Stevens Jr. insist the crime was not motivated by Steinfeld's gender identity.
...
Vrba told investigators he initially tried to poison Steinfeld, then described how he stabbed Steinfeld in the living room of Calderas' mobile home, Deputy Rowdy Douglas wrote in a probable cause statement. The female suspects said Vrba bragged to them about how he gouged Steinfeld's eyes and stabbed Steinfeld in the genitals, Douglas wrote. The probable cause statement does not offer any motive.
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https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc...esome-death-transgender-missouri-teen-n805146
My bolding.
Say what? The sheriff and prosecutor are insisting this was not a hate crime but the probable cause statement offers no motive for the crime. So how exactly then do they know that gouging Ally's eyes out and stabbing her in the genitals after attempting to poison her, and oh, burning her body, had nothing to do with her gender identity? How can they be so sure this early in the investigation?

"There couldn't be a more vivid example of someone being targeted because of their gender identity than being stabbed in their genitals," said Dru Levasseur, director of the Transgender Rights Project for Lambda Legal. "I've heard complete outrage from trans people about how they (authorities) could not prosecute this."

"HRC is also deeply concerned about the investigation into her death," said HRC legal director Sarah Warbelow. "As details of her brutal murder are confirmed, it seems likely that anti-transgender animus played a role," Warbelow said. "This broader epidemic of violence against the transgender community, often motivated by hatred, must come to an end."

The HRC has also released an open letter imploring the prosecution to reconsider. "While all details of Ally’s murder are not available to the public, those that have been shared raise serious red flags," reads the letter. "The perpetrators of this crime knew Ally and knew that she was transgender. Particularly alarming is the information that one or more of the perpetrators stabbed Ally in her genitals which heavily suggests that this was not a general crime but rather was motivated by her gender identity."

A motive for the murder has not been announced by police.

"You don't kill someone if you don't have hate in your heart," said James Sigman, the sheriff in Missouri's Texas County, responding to the criticisms. "But no, it's not a hate crime."
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http://www.oxygen.com/blogs/no-hate...ple-arrested-for-grisly-murder-of-transgender

If LE releases more information that indicates this was not a hate crime then I'll stand down on my opinion of the Cabool, Missouri authorities.

Missouri is one of 17 states with hate crime laws that cover offenses targeting people on the basis of their gender identity. But those provisions have led to few prosecutions.
...
On Wednesday, PROMO and the Anti-Defamation League jointly urged prosecutors to examine the possibility that Steinfeld’s murder was a hate crime.

“Not taking those steps conveys a lack of awareness about the transgender community and the threats of violence we live with every day,” Perkins said.
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/nati...ec86cdfe1ed_story.html?utm_term=.0eba0b69ca0b
 
Sitting on my hands here. Just sitting on my hands with ALL my might.


Rest softly, dear girl. Karma and justice will find a way. For ALL these people.
 
The way I understand it is that any Missouri laws regarding hate crimes are not applied when the charge is first degree murder. IOW, there's no enhancement for hate crimes for the charges against the four murderers. Missouri does have the death penalty and we may see that in this case or maybe LWOP.

So, to that extent I understand why the hate crime law isn't being added to the charges. However, IMO the sheriff and prosecutor made a big PR error in the way they stated that they will not pursue hate crime charges in this case - they made it sound like first degree murder is ample enough. But they failed to fully explain and IMO their statements came off as dismissive.

From Texas County Prosecutor Parke Stevens Jr: "I would say murder in the first degree is all that matters.” He only clarified it after msm contacted him. And Texas County Sheriff James Sigman said: “You don’t kill someone if you don’t have hate in your heart. But no, it’s not a hate crime.”

Really? Neither could clearly explain why no hate crime charges were filed until people questioned their decision? SMH.

http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article176919421.html

Transgender rights lawyer Dru Levasseur of Lambda Legal, one of the groups that signed the letter, said Lambda and its allies still believe that LGBT-inclusive hate crime laws are valuable.

“It does send a message that transgender people’s lives matter,” he said. “But we need to get at the root of these horrific murders. It’s not just about adding on to the sentencing. It’s about looking at the big picture of why is this happening.”
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/nati...ec86cdfe1ed_story.html?utm_term=.faabcc3e3e4a

Grisby allegedly told authorities “that Vrba told him he had tortured and killed Steinfeld and that Calderas had asked for his (Grigsby’s) assistance with disposing of the remains,” according to court documents obtained by the Bradenton Herald.

Grisby also allegedly admitted that he and the other three suspects went to the residence and placed the teen’s burned remains into a plastic sack before hiding them, the newspaper reported.

Officers searched the home and found human remains in a pile and a plastic bag.
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http://ktla.com/2017/09/28/transgen...es-gouged-out-and-her-body-burned-police-say/

And, this is my opinion here... I feel sad that poor Ally was referred to by her birth name by her parents and LE. I can understand her parents grappling with Ally's decision and why LE followed suit since it was they who reported her missing. But not only was she horribly murdered and mutilated but even in death no one close to the case will acknowledge her as she wished. Sad all around.
 
I am sick to my stomach. I can't even imagine the horror that she experienced before she died.
 
Prosecutors seek death penalty in killing of transgender teen

"...Court records show plans requesting the sentence for Andrew Vrba were filed Monday. Vrba, 18, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of 17-year-old Ally Steinfeld. Vrba's attorney hasn't responded to an email seeking comment.

Some of Ally Lee Steinfeld's burned remains were found in September 2017 in a bag in a Cabool chicken coop. Investigators say both of the transgender teen's eyes had been gouged out, and she had been stabbed in the genitals.

Steinfeld's roommate, Isis Schauer, 18, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for second-degree murder. Briana Calderas, 24, faces charges of first degree murder and abandonment of a corpse. Her trial is set for Oct. 9-12, according to the Houston Herald.

James Grigsby, 25, has pleaded not guilty to abandonment of a corpse, reports the Herald..."

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/prosecutors-seek-death-penalty-in-killing-of-transgender-teen/

Burned_Body_Missouri_23524-188x300.jpg

Link: https://wtop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Burned_Body_Missouri_23524-188x300.jpg
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Andrew J. Vrba, 19, of Houston, is charged with first-degree murder, armed criminal action and abandonment of a corpse in the September death of Joseph M. Steinfeld, 17, who went by “Ally” and planned to transition to a female. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty in the case. No trial date has been set.

Two other defendants were previously sentenced, and another, Briana Calderas, still faces a trial. A pre-trial conference was Wednesday in her case. A trial in Pulaski County is Feb. 25-March 1. She also is charged with first-degree murder, armed criminal action and abandonment of a corpse.

Local death penalty case moved to Greene County
 
This is so horrible.

Dear Ally, you should still be here, living your courageous and beautiful life.

My heart goes out to Ally's family. May they continue to hold one another close.

Rest in Peace, beautiful Ally.
 
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