Detroit Man Charged In Murder/Robbery Used Grindr To Find Victims

A Detroit man has been arrested in the assault and murder of two gay men.

According to DetroitNews.com, Demetris Nelson used the gay dating app, Grindr, to find and contact his victims.

Demetris Nelson, 26, was charged Friday in 36th District Court in Detroit with several crimes, including first-degree murder, assault with intent to murder and assault with intent to rob while armed and felony firearm possession, according to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office.

If convicted, he faces up to life in prison for the murder charge.

A magistrate ordered him held without bail and scheduled a probable cause hearing for July 26 and a preliminary examination into the case for Aug. 2.

Police say Nelson shot and killed Brian Anderson, 31, and shot and critically wounded Malcom Drake, 26, both of Detroit, last Saturday during an attempted robbery.

Prosecutors allege he shot them because they are gay and used a social networking app to locate the two victims.

White Supremacist Gets Life In Prison For Driving Car Into Crowd At Charlottesville Hate Rally

Alex Fields Jr. (mug shot)

NBC News reports that James Alex Fields Jr., who drove his car into a crowd protesting white supremacists at a rally in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017, has been sentence to life in prison.

James Alex Fields Jr. pleaded guilty to 29 of 30 hate crime charges in March in a plea deal to avoid the death penalty for murdering civil rights activist Heather Heyer and injuring more than 30 others when he intentionally mowed them down on a side street with his car on Aug. 12, 2017.

The 30th charge, which included a possible death sentence, was dropped. U.S. Attorney General William Barr directed and permitted prosecutors not to seek the death penalty.

Prosecutors have said that Fields has shown no remorse for the violence and had a history of racist and anti-Semitic behavior.

James Alex Fields, driver in deadly car attack at Charlottesville rally, sentenced to life in prison
Fields pleaded guilty to 29 of 30 federal hate crime charges in March.
Image: James Alex Fields Jr.
James Alex Fields Jr. at the Unite the Right rally pic.twitter.com/gPadLikCeU

— Lynnette (@Lynnett72514891) June 28, 2019

According to reports, Fields admired Adolf Hitler keeping a photo of the German dictator next to his bed.

A former classmate of Fields testified during his trial that on a high school trip to a German concentration camp, Fields said aloud, "This is where the magic happened."

This isn't the end of legal troubles for Fields, though.

He has also been convicted on state charges, including first-degree murder, five counts of aggravated malicious wounding, three counts of malicious wounding and one hit and run count for injuring dozens of others with his vehicle.

He has a sentencing hearing set on July 15 regarding those charges.

The jury in that case has reportedly recommended life in prison plus 419 years.

News Round-Up: March 13, 2019

Some news items you might have missed:

• Paleontologist & InstaHunk Francesc Gascó saying 'good night.' #ImNotMad

• The Massachusetts House of Representatives has passed a bill banning the practice of so-called 'conversion therapy' on minors. With full passage, Mass would become the 16th state (plus the District of Columbia) to ban conversion therapy for minors.

• Donald Trump has proposed cutting over $1 billion in HIV/AIDS funding in next fiscal budget.

• Former Broadway dancer Marcus Bellamy was sentenced to 20 years in prison for murdering his partner during a drug-fueled argument.

• Utah's House of Representatives approved a bill that would give teeth to the state's hate crime law - but only after making not only LGBTQ people but "political expression" protected by the law.

• Los Angeles-based electro-pop musician, Devin Tait, recently debuted his new music video, "By My Side," from his album, Art Damage.

The video is an wistful homage to late 80s-era Halloween nights, and two young men who discover that there may be more to be found in removing your mask than in hiding who you are.

Hit the play button below.

Toronto Serial Killer Pleads Guilty To Murdering 8 Men

Admitted serial killer Bruce McArthur (image via Facebook)

A former landscaper and mall Santa Claus pleaded guilty in a Toronto courtroom Tuesday morning to killing 8 men over a seven-year period.

Bruce McArthur, 67-years-old, has been charged with eight counts of first-degree murder which included hiding the victims’ dismembered bodies.

The victims have been identified as Selim Esen, Andrew Kinsman, Majeed Kayhan, Dean Lisowick, Soroush Mahmudi, Skandaraj Navaratnam, Abdulbasir Faizi and Kirushna Kanagaratnam.

According to local news station CP24, the murders were "sexual in nature," and there were signs that they were premeditated.

Additionally, there was evidence of 'confinement' involved in the incidents.

During a search of McArthur's apartment, police found some of the victims' personal belongings.

The murders occurred between 2010 and 2017 in Toronto.

“The bodies of all eight men were found dismembered in planters and in a ravine near a home on Mallory Crescent where McArthur stored tools for his landscaping business," reports CP24.

McArthur’s next court appearance is set for February 4. At that time, victim impact statements will be filed in the court and the sentencing phase will begin.

Karen Fraser, who owns the property where the bodies were found, told CP24 she feels “violated” by the atrocities.

When asked about McArthur, she described the former landscaper as having two different personalities.

“We call it ‘Bruce A’ and ‘Bruce B.’ ‘Bruce A’ was a man who seemed to have made decisions about his life and was very happy with it. He enjoyed his job. He enjoyed his clients,” she told CP24.

“(He) never got bored with the plants. He was very talented at it. He was very fond of his children. He was a great grandfather. He was the best friend, neighbour, relative that anyone could want. That was ‘Bruce A.’ ‘Bruce B,’ Who was that? I don’t know.”

(h/t CP24)

White Supremacist Sentenced To Life In Prison For Driving Car Through Charlottesville Crowd

James A Fields Jr.

The Washington Post reports that neo-nazi James A. Fields Jr., convicted of first-degree murder (among other charges) has been sentenced to life in prison and more for his actions.

James A. Fields Jr., an avowed neo-Nazi who rammed his car into a group of counterprotesters at a white-supremacist rally, was sentenced to life in prison by a jury Tuesday after a trial that offered an unsparing view of the physical and emotional ruin he caused in this city with a burst of vehicular rage 16 month ago.

As he had throughout his two-week trial, Fields, 21, sat impassively at the defendant’s table, clad in a powder blue sweater, as the jury delivered its verdict at 12:20 p.m. after about four hours of deliberations that began Monday: life for first-degree murder; 70 years for each of five counts of aggravated malicious wounding; 20 years for each of three counts of malicious wounding; and nine years for leaving the scene of a fatal crash.

His overall sentence: life plus 419 years and $480,000 in fines.

Heather Heyer, 32, was killed in the attack as well as 35 others who were seriously injured.

In Virginia, a trial jury hands out sentences within certain guidelines.

The judge will officially sentence Fields on March 29.  At that time, the judge may reduce, but not increase, the prison time.

Charlottesville Neo-Nazi Found Guilty Of Murder

James Alex Fields (mug shot via the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail.)

The Neo-nazi who drove his car into a crowd of people a the Charlottesville rally in 2017 has been found guilty of first-degree murder.

From ABC News:

Suspect James Alex Fields was on trial for the death and injuries he is accused of causing when he drove his car into a crowd of counter-protesters, killing Heather Heyer.

He was found guilty on all of the charges he was facing, ABC affiliate WSET reports, which included first-degree murder as well as eight other charges relating to injuries and one relating to fleeing the scene of an accident.

Fields' sentencing will come at a later date, and he faces life in prison.

BREAKING: James Alex Fields Jr., man who drove car into counter-protesters during Charlottesville rally in 2017, convicted of first-degree murder. https://t.co/HQNEBrxMMQ pic.twitter.com/KYNPYUPEYL

— ABC News (@ABC) December 7, 2018

Fields' defense lawyers tried to claim 'self-defense' saying he became afraid after the rally, led by white nationalists and neo-nazis turned violent.

Entered into evidence during the trial were text messages Fields sent to his mother leading up to and during the rally. "We're not the one [sic] who need to be careful," he texted his mother the day before the event, along with a picture of Adolf Hitler.

The jury also heard a jailhouse conversation between Fields and his mom. When his mother mentioned that Heyer's mother had lost a daughter due to his actions, he responded, "It doesn't f*cking matter."

The 21-year-old still faces 30 federal charges, separate from this trial, relating to hate crimes.

Trump Finally Admits Saudi Arabia Responsible For Journalist's Death

Donald Trump

After spending days accepting Saudi Arabia's explanation for the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, despite the skepticism of world leaders, Donald Trump changed course saying, "Somebody really messed up."

According to HuffPost, Trump told reporters at the White House today, “They had a very bad original concept. It was carried out poorly and the cover-up was one of the worst cover-ups in the history of cover-ups. Very simple. Bad deal, should have never been thought of. Somebody really messed up.”

Full Trump quote on Saudi killing of Khashoggi:

“They had a very bad original concept. It was carried out poorly and the cover-up was one of the worst cover-ups in the history of cover-ups. Very simple. Bad deal, should have never been thought of. Somebody really messed up.”

— Jordan Fabian (@Jordanfabian) October 23, 2018

On Tuesday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey told lawmakers in his country that he did not believe Saudi Arabia’s initial explanation for Khashoggi’s death and openly accused Saudi officials of carrying out premeditated murder.

“The information obtained so far and the evidence found shows that Khashoggi was murdered in a ferocious manner,” Erdogan said.

Trump, who's known for his own blunt style, called Erdogan’s comments “pretty rough.”

Trump also indicated that Congress should decide how to proceed on the matter.

“In terms of what we ultimately do, I’m going to leave it very much — in conjunction with me — I’m going to leave it up to Congress,” Trump said.

Saudi Arabia Changes Story: Kashoggi Murder Was "A Rogue Operation"

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir

In an appearance on Fox News today, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir presented the new version of events that led to the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Turkey.

As expected for days, the new version describes the murder of Khashoggi as "a rogue operation."

Adel al-Jubeir told the Fox News viewers that Khashoggi was killed in a “criminal” act committed by individuals operating “outside the scope of their authority.”

“There obviously was a tremendous mistake made and what compounded the mistake was the attempt to try to cover up. That is unacceptable in any government,” he said.

The foreign minister denies any involvement by the crown prince of Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir: This was an operation that was a rogue operation. https://t.co/ZNhIXzUPC9 pic.twitter.com/jhaZd1gYba

— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 21, 2018

Republican lawmakers are NOT happy.

Bob Corker says he thinks Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince was behind the death of Jamal Khashoggi: "Do I think he did it? Yes, I think he did it. Let's finish this investigation." (via CNN) pic.twitter.com/4iK0czLIPt

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) October 21, 2018

.@LindseyGrahamSC: “I don’t think it’s credible at all.” https://t.co/ZNhIXzUPC9 #SundayFutures @MariaBartiromo pic.twitter.com/hH3CPZ1fXZ

— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 21, 2018

Donald Trump Shifts Tone On Saudi Arabia's 'Explanation' Of Journalist's Death

Donald Trump

After days and days of defending the Saudi Arabian government, Donald Trump is finally shifting his position (in the face of mounting evidence) regarding the Saudi's story regarding the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggie.

Frpm The Washington Post:

President Trump retreated late Saturday from his stance that Saudi Arabia’s story about the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside their Turkish consulate was credible but still gave a strong vote of confidence to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, arguing the United States’ relationship with the kingdom is key to his administration’s policy objectives in the Middle East.

“Obviously there’s been deception and there’s been lies,” Trump said in an interview with The Washington Post when pressed on the many discrepancies in the changing accounts from the Saudis. “Their stories are all over the place.”

He did not call for the ouster of Mohammed and instead praised his leadership, calling the prince “a strong person, he has very good control.” During the 20-minute interview, Trump repeatedly talked about the importance of the economic ties between the United States and Saudi Arabia and Mohammed’s role in that relationship.

During an appearance on Fox News this morning, Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky said that he does not believe Saudi Arabia’s explanation that Khashoggi died in a fist fight gone wrong at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2.

“There’s no way 15 people were sent to Turkey to kill a dissident without the approval of the crown Prince,” Paul said, referencing the fifteen Saudis reportedly involved in Khashoggi’s death.

“I think we really need to discontinue our arms sales to Saudi Arabia and have a long and serious discussion about whether or not they want to be an ally or they want to be an enemy," added Paul.

Killer Gets Prison Sentence Reduced Using "Gay Panic" Defense

Another murderer has successfully utilized the 'gay panic' defense in an effort to see his prison sentence reduced.

A 35-year-old man in India had been found guilty of the stabbing murder of his friend and was in the 7th year of his sentence when he appealed to the Bombay High Court crying 'gay panic.'

From Gay Star News:

Originally convicted for murder and given a life sentence, the court reduced his sentence. The court’s changed the man’s sentence to culpable homicide and released him for time already served.

The man appealed his original sentence saying his friend was trying to have ‘unnatural sex’ with him and that’s why he attacked him.

In their ruling the court Justices said the man’s story seemed ‘plausible’.

‘If a person is asked to indulge in an unnatural sex act and assaulted, it is quite probable such a person in the heat of passion would assault the person demanding such unnatural act,’ the justices said.

Gay panic defenses in the U.S. have been banned in California, Rhode Island and Illinois.

In 2013, the American Bar Association approved a resolution condemning the practice.

Convicted Murderer: “Homosexuals Are A Disease To Mankind And Must Be Put Down"

Peter Avsenew

 A 33-year-old Florida man, who was convicted of the 2010 double homicide of a gay couple in the gay-centric neighborhood of Wilton Manors, will receive the death penalty.

While a court-appointed lawyer asked for mercy saying Peter Avsenew had been sexually abused by his stepfather as child and lost his sister to murder, Broward County Circuit Judge Ilona Holmes upheld the unanimous recommendation of the jury that he be put to death.

Avsenew was convicted last fall of the murders of Kevin Powell and Stephen Adams, a gay couple who had been together for 30 years.

According to prosecutors during the trial, Avsenew met the men through a sexually suggestive ad on Craigslist. After killing the couple, he stole their car, belongings and money.

At his sentencing hearing in January, the convicted killer flipped off members of the family in the court room after hearing the jury’s recommendation for the death penalty.

He told the judge at the time of sentencing he had no regrets and he was “proud of the decisions” he’d made in his life, according to the local ABC news affiliate.

While the judge could have spared his life, Avsenew sealed his own fate by writing a letter to the Holmes saying “It is my duty as a white man to cull the weak and timid from existence.”

“Homosexuals are a disease to mankind and must be put down,” he added. “These weren’t the first and won’t be the last.”

Missy Badget, a family member of one of the victims, said at the time, “After what happened in that courtroom just now, I'm happy that he's being put to the death penalty.”

Avsenew is the first convicted felon to receive the death penalty since a new law went into effect requiring a jury to be unanimous in its recommendation for execution.

(h/t Sun-Sentinel)

California Man Denies Alleged Murder Was Hate Crime

Samuel Woodward is accused in the stabbing death of Blaze Bernstein

A 21-year-old man from Newport Beach accused of killing a former classmate could face life in prison without parole after prosecutors added a hate crime enhancement to murder charges.

Samuel Woodward is accused of murder in the stabbing death of his former high school classmate Blaze Bernstein.

Bernstein was reported missing by his parents in January while he was visiting home during the winter break at the University of Pennsylvania. His body was eventually found in a shallow grave in Borrego Park with over 20 stab wounds.

DNA evidence found in Woodward’s car and Borrego Park led to his arrest.

At the time the hate crime component was added to charges, Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas told CBS News that a search of Woodward’s social media and cellphone data revealed “graphic” and “chilling” photos and text messages.

Rackauckas said the material, which was "homophobic, anti-Semitic, misogynistic and anti-government" showed Woodward's "dark side."

CBS News also reports that Woodward has been linked to white supremacist group.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Woodward denied the hate crime enhancement during a court appearance on Wednesday even though Woodward admits it was a kiss that sparked the altercation.

According to an affidavit, Woodward told investigators that Bernstein kissed him while they were sitting in a parked car Jan. 2. Woodward told authorities the kiss was unwanted and that he pushed Bernstein away.

After Wednesday’s court appearance, Woodward’s attorney, Edward Munoz, said his client has been diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, a developmental disorder that can hinder a person’s ability to socialize or communicate.

Munoz said that “there’s going to be some evidence that comes out to say he’s very confused” about both his sexual identity and “his own identity.”

Los Angeles: Mother Charged In Murder Of Her 10-Year-Old Son

Anthony Avalos 

Heather Barron, the mother of 10-year-old Anthony Avalos, was arrested Friday and charged in the murder of the boy, who authorities say was the victim of child abuse.

Both the mother and boyfriend are accused of torturing the boy to death possibly in connection to his recently coming out saying "I like boys."

From The LA Times:

Heather Barron, 28, was arrested Friday morning and charged with murder, child abuse resulting in death, and torture, said Nicole Nishida, a spokeswoman with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Barron’s boyfriend, Kareem Leiva, 32, was also arrested earlier this week. He was charged Friday with murder, torture and assault on a child causing death, the district attorney’s office said in a statement.

Barron appeared in a Lancaster courtroom Friday, but her arraignment was postponed to Monday. Leiva, who is being treated for a laceration to his neck, will be arraigned after he is medically cleared. If convicted as charged, Barron faces a possible maximum sentence of 22 years to life in prison, and Leiva faces 32 years to life.

Anthony was found with severe injuries at his family’s apartment in Lancaster on June 20 and died the following day. Investigators classified the death as suspicious, and county officials removed other children from the home as the investigation continued.

The L.A. County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday called for a comprehensive review of Anthony’s case history and shortcomings in the child welfare and law enforcement systems that may have contributed to his death.

Before he died, young Anthony had been beaten, starved, forced to eat food from garbage and locked in tiny spaces. Anthony has six siblings who were apparently subjected to the same horrors.

May Barron and Leiva rot in prison for the rest of their miserable lives.

Mother's Boyfriend Charged With Murder Of 10-Year-Old Boy

Anthony Avalos

On June 20, 10-year-old Anthony Avalos was found unresponsive at his family’s home having suffered severe head injuries and cigarette burns covered his body.

He died on the Thursday 21st.

According to reports, the boy had recently come out as gay saying "I like boys." Authorities believe homophobia played a part in his death.

The boyfriend of the boy's mother, who's a member of a violent gang in Southern California, has now been arrested and charged with the murder of the 10-year-old.

From NBC News:

Anthony Avalos was taken to a hospital on June 20 after his mother, Heather Barron, called 911 to report that he had been injured in a fall, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. He was not breathing and unresponsive when emergency workers found him in his Lancaster home, and he died the next day.

Anthony Avalos’ death bears a striking resemblance to a 2013 case in neighboring Palmdale, less than 10 minutes from Lancaster. Eight-year-old Gabriel Fernandez died in May 2013 after being routinely beaten and starved by his mother and her boyfriend. Prosecutors said Gabriel was systematically abused because his mother’s boyfriend thought the boy was gay.

At a news conference on Wednesday, Sheriff Jim McDonnell said Barron's boyfriend, Kareem Leiva, 32, had been arrested on murder charges and was being held on $2 million bail.

First Gabriel Fernandez. Now Anthony Avalos. They were abused and killed for being gay. And if we don’t do something, it’s gonna keep happening to more children. Homophobia kills. Rest In Power Angels. #RIPGabrielFernandez #RIPAnthonyAvalos #LGBT pic.twitter.com/hsRWZpHpUJ

— mrak :) (@markkaanthony) June 26, 2018

Rip my lil man still can’t believe it
Always in our hearts and memories I’m sorry Anthony Nolan Avalos but justice will be served I promise. pic.twitter.com/kV1qRQVEZf

— Los (@superbLos) June 22, 2018

Ohio: Convicted Murderer Attempts To Escape Execution Via "Gay Panic" Defense

Back in 1985, Robert Van Hook, pictured left, strangled and stabbed 25-year-old David Self to death in Cincinnati, before stealing some of his belongings and fleeing. He is currently scheduled to be executed on July 18.

Van Hook is now attempting to claim "gay panic" as a defense for his actions in order to save his life.

Prosecutors call the ploy “nonsense,” pointing out it fit into a well established pattern of behavior.

“This is a man who had cynically manipulated homosexuals for years. He posed as a gay [man]; he frequented bars that were gay and he preyed on vulnerable victims who were gay,” the Hamilton County prosecutor’s office said in a filing with the board.

Van Hook’s attorneys say their client was suffering from the effects of abuse he experienced as a child They add he was “troubled by increasing questions about his own sexual identity.”

Currently, two states have laws banning gay or trans panic defenses: Illinois and California.

Last month, James Miller of Texas, successfully used the strategy to avoid a prison.

Miller said he stabbed his neighbor, Daniel Spencer, after he had tried to kiss him.

Miller was sentenced to only ten years probation after being found guilty of criminally negligent homicide.

Think on that for a while...

Mother Of Murdered 8-Year-Old Boy She Suspected Was Gay Pleads Guilty, Receives Life Sentence

8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez

The mother of an 8-year-old Palmdale boy pleaded guilty to the 2013 death of her son who died after suffering brutal beatings and starvation.

According to prosecutors, the mother and her boyfriend tortured Gabriel Fernandez because they suspected he was gay.

Via The LA Times:

In a downtown Los Angeles courtroom, Pearl Sinthia Fernandez admitted that the 2013 killing of her son Gabriel was intentional and involved the infliction of torture.

Her guilty plea avoided a trial, where prosecutors were expected to seek the death penalty. Fernandez's defense lawyers had opposed capital punishment, arguing that her low IQ made her ineligible for death row. A judge is scheduled to sentence her June 7 to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Shackled at the waist and wearing a jail-issued smock, Fernandez, 34, spoke in a faint, muted voice on Thursday as she accepted the conditions of the plea agreement.

"You will never be paroled. You will never be released from prison," Deputy Dist. Atty. Jon Hatami told her. "Do you understand and agree to this?"

"Yes," said Fernandez as her lawyer, Deputy Alternate Public Defender Julia Dixon, comforted her.

On May 22, 2013, young Gabriel was found by paramedics in an unconscious state. He had a cracked skull, broken ribs, his skin was burned and bruised, he was missing teeth and BB pellets were found in his groin. He died two days later.

The investigation into Gabriel's death revealed massive lapses by L.A. county social workers who visited the boy's home six times but never took action despite physical evidence of torture.

Fernandez and her boyfriend, Isauro Aguirre, both brutalized young Gabriel for months leading up to his death. The 8-year-old was forced to sleep in a cabinet bound and gagged, eat his own vomit and cat feces, and was beaten with a belt over and over.

Aguirre was convicted of first-degree murder on Nov. 1. The jury recommended the death penalty. Aguirre will be sentenced on March 8.

More on my reporting of the tragic events surrounding Gabriel's death here.

News Round-Up: December 14, 2017

Ben Cohen

Some news items you might have missed:

• Some #ThrowBackThursday action as I'm reminded of my major man crush on rugby champ and anti-bullying advocate Ben Cohen (above). Check out his 2018 charity calendar here.

• Researchers say having older brothers could increase the likelihood of being gay.

•  Failed Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore threw more anti-LGBT shade even as he refuses to concede his race to Democrat Doug Jones. Moore says he lost due to "sodomy" sweeping the nation.

• Just six months after legalizing same-sex marriage, Bermuda's lawmakers have reversed course and outlawed marriage equality.

• Gay porn star sentenced to life in prison for "brutal and vicious" murder of his millionaire boyfriend.

• Afterglow, the controversial off-Broadway hit one-act play, celebrates 200 performances tonight and has added a new block of tickets through March 2018.

Via press release: The play explores the emotional, intellectual, and physical connections between three men and the broader implications within their relationships.

The Advocate called the play "compelling and raw" and "not to be missed."

Huffington Post wrote, “It’s clear Afterglow will be a must-see among New York theatergoers.”

Afterglow (photo: Mati Gelman)

Jurors Recommend Death Penalty For Man Who Killed 8-Year-Old He Suspected Was Gay

8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez

Jurors in the case of Isauro Aguirre, found guilty of first-degree murder of 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez, have recommended the death penalty for the 37-year-old man.

Aguirre was convicted of first-degree murder on November 15. According to prosecutors, Aguirre hated the boy because he suspected he was gay.

From the LA Times:

Jurors on Wednesday voted for the death penalty for a man convicted of fatally torturing his girlfriend’s young son — a savage slaying that led to sweeping reform within Los Angeles County’s child-welfare system.

The verdict ended a murder trial in which jurors heard and saw disturbing evidence about how 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez suffered repeated abuse at the hands of Isauro Aguirre, 37, who stared ahead expressionless as he heard the pronouncement.

When paramedics arrived at the boy’s Palmdale home on May 22, 2013, Gabriel was unconscious and had a cracked skull, broken ribs, burned and bruised skin, missing teeth and BB pellets lodged in his groin. He died two days later after being removed from life support.

During closing arguments in the penalty phase of Aguirre’s trial, Deputy Dist. Atty. Jonathan Hatami told jurors that in the months leading up to the boy’s death, the defendant had reveled in his brutalization, forcing Gabriel to eat cat feces and his own vomit. The boy slept in a small cabinet, the prosecutor said, with his ankles handcuffed, his hands bound and his mouth gagged with a sock.

Aguirre is scheduled to be sentenced on March 8.

California: Man Found Guilty In Beating Death Of 8-Year-Old Boy He Thought Was Gay

8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez

Isauro Aguirre, 6-foot-2, 270 pounds, has been found guilty of first degree murder in the death of 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez.

Aguirre tortured the young boy for months because he suspected Gabriel was gay.

From the LA Times:

A 37-year-old man accused of torturing and beating his girlfriend’s 8-year-old son to death in a case that prompted far-reaching reforms of the county’s child welfare system was convicted Wednesday of first-degree murder.

Jurors deliberated for about six hours before returning the verdict against Isauro Aguirre, also finding true a special allegation that the murder was committed with the infliction of torture.

The jury must next determine whether Aguirre should be sentenced to death for the May 2013 death of Gabriel Fernandez, who was found unconscious with a cracked skull, three broken ribs and BB pellets embedded in his lung and groin when paramedics reached him at his Palmdale home. He was declared brain-dead and taken off life support two days later.

Prosecutors will begin presenting evidence in the penalty phase of the trial on Nov. 27.

The boy’s mother, Pearl Sinthia Fernandez, is facing a separate trial. She has pleaded not guilty to murder.

The mother apparently took part in the torture by beating the boy with a belt and shooting him with a BB gun.

For months, Aguirre would make young Gabriel to eat cat litter and feces, and would force Gabriel to sleep tied up in a small cabinet.

According to court records, the home was visited several times by L.A. social workers and sheriff's deputies in the months leading up to Gabriel's death.

Yes, I hope he gets the death penalty.

News Round-Up: November 9, 2017

Some news stories you might have missed:

• Yes, it's calendar season! Whoo-hoo! Today's charity calendar (above) is from former rugby champ and total LGBT ally Ben Cohen. Ben's StandUp Foundation works to bring awareness to the long-term effects of bullying and strives to bring an end to bullying.

• Justice League star Ezra Miller was told by entertainment insiders he'd "made a mistake" by coming out. He's not too worried ;)

• Embattled Alabama Republican Senate nominee Roy Moore told reporters yesterday that "Transgenders don't have rights."

• Folks are so over Kevin Spacey in the wake of the numerous sexual harassment allegations that Ridley Scott has recast Spacey's supporting role in the upcoming All the Money in the World with Christopher Plummer. The entire movie was already filmed, edited and ready to be released in six weeks, but Sony is so freaked out they are going back into production to remove Spacey from the film.

• Gay adult film actor Ali Liam has been arrested for the stabbing death of his boyfriend.

• In case you missed it, check out Maroon 5 performing their latest single, "Like Lovers Do" from the new album Red Blue Pills on ELLEN this week. #ILovePopMusic