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Daqua Lameek Ritter Found Guilty of Hate Crime Murder in South Carolina
A federal jury in South Carolina has found Daqua Lameek Ritter guilty of murdering a transgender woman, Dime Doe, due to her gender identity. The verdict was handed down after a four-day trial in a federal hate crime case.
According to evidence presented at trial, Ritter lured Doe to a remote area in Allendale, South Carolina, on August 4, 2019, and shot her three times in the head. The government proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Ritter murdered Doe because of her gender identity.
Ritter then burned the clothes he was wearing during the crime, disposed of the murder weapon, and repeatedly lied to law enforcement. The FBI Columbia Field Office investigated the case, with the assistance of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, Allendale County Sheriff’s Office, and Allendale Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brook Andrews, Ben Garner, and Elle Klein for the District of South Carolina and Trial Attorney Andrew Manns of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case. The jury’s verdict sends a clear message: bias-motivated violence will not be tolerated, and perpetrators of hate crimes will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
“Acts of violence against LGBTQI+ people, including transgender women of color like Dime Doe, are on the rise and have no place in our society,” said Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “The Justice Department takes seriously all bias-motivated acts of violence and will not hesitate to hold accountable those who commit them.”
A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date, and Ritter faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is historic, marking the first trial under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act for violence against a transgender person. The Shepard-Byrd Act is a landmark federal statute passed in 2009 which allows federal criminal prosecution of hate crimes motivated by the victim’s actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.
Key Facts
- State: South Carolina
- Category: Violent Crime|Sex Crimes|Hate Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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