Latin Kings Gang Member Kills Girlfriend When Friends Find Out She's Trans

Joshua Brandon Vallum was a member of the Latin Kings street gang in 2015 and before. As a member, Vallum knew he had to follow strict rules of conduct or face severe consequences.

The Latin Kings and Queens operate across the U.S., consisting mainly of Puerto Rican males. Gang members must follow strict rules and codes of conduct to show their loyalty and remain active. Rules include:

Must commit crimes as ordered by leaders

Must form a brotherhood with other members and keep them from harm

Cannot cooperate or talk to law enforcement

Avoid same-sex relationships, as it is viewed as a violation of traditional gender roles and masculinity

Members caught violating rules or codes of conduct are subject to expulsion from the gang and severe punishment, up to and including death. Members caught in homosexual relationships or activity are subject to “death on-site.”

Despite the risks, Vallum dated 17-year-old Mercedes Williamson, a transgender female. He kept the relationship secret from everyone -friends, family, and especially his brothers in the gang.

Her friends knew about their relationship.

The two met online in 2014 and had dates for a few months when Joshua introduced Mercedes to a couple of his Latin Kings friends.

They immediately commented that she had a huge Adam’s apple and broad shoulders. Joshua ended his relationship with her after that meeting.

One of the friends eventually learned that she was transgender. He lied to his friends adn gellow gang members, claiming he didnt know she was transgender and broke it off when he found out. He also told them he would “handle it.”

Afraid the Latin Kings would kill him for having sex with a biological male, Vallum drove to Mercedes’ home in Alabama, lured her into his car, and drove to his father’s house in Lucedale, Mississippi, on May 30, 2015.

As Mercedes sat in the passenger seat of the vehicle, Vallum used a stun gun to incapacitate her, and then repeatedly stabbed her with a 75th Ranger Regiment pocket knife.

Mercedes tried to escape, but Vallum chased her into the woods and continued the attack with a claw hammer, repeatedly striking her in the head with the weapon.

Vallum left Mercedes' body in the woods.

He attempted to dispose of the murder weapons and then returned home, bloodied adn shaken.

Joshua’s parents called police when he walked through the door covered in blood from head to toe. Pollice found Mercedes’ body in the woods a short time later and took Joshua into custody.

He initially claimed he killed Mercedes after learning she was born a biological male, but evidence contradicted this statement, including statements from her friends and the hundreds of images of gay porn retrived from his phone.

At his trial, Vallum admitted that he had a consensual relationship with Mercedes and knew that she was transgender. In May 2016, Vallum was found guilty of killing Mercedes and sentenced to 49 years in prison. He was later charged under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. he was the first person ever prosecuted under the hate crimes law.

Sources:

https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/mississippi-man-sentenced-49-years-prison-bias-motivated-murder-transgender-woman-lucedale

https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/historic-hate-crime-sentencing

https://www.bbc.com/bbcthree/article/4fd80635-a8fc-4208-9003-149a2ab26650