(Hayward, California) The trial of three men accused of killing Gwen Araujo has been told the men began having suspicions the 17 year old may not be biologically female weeks before the murder.
The questions began after two of the men who had sex with her began comparing notes about their experiences. As Michael Magidson and Jose Merel's questions grew so did their anger.
On the stand Monday was Jaron Nabors who has already pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in exchange for testimony against his three friends.
Magidson, 23, Merel, 24, and a third man, Jason Cazares, also 24, are charged with killing the transgendered teen after finding out she was biologically male.
Araujo was murdered in October 2002. She was beaten, battered with a shovel and then strangled to death. Her body was found in a shallow grave several days later.
Nabors told the court that Magidson and Merel thought they had been deceived and began listing clues, such as Araujo's scratchy voice and the way she kept her throat covered.
Nabors said Merel seemed particularly angry that Araujo could be male, asking, "Do you want to be gay?"
But despite the talk, Nabors said he still believed Araujo to be female.
"I would say in hindsight it was more of a denial thing," he testified.
The testimony is key to the prosecution's case that the planning for Araujo's murder began long fore the night she was murdered.
The defense lawyers have said their clients are guilty of a "classic manslaughter" after they discovered the night of the killing Araujo had been born male.
"It brought shame and humiliation, shock and revulsion," said attorney Michael Thorman, who is representing Magidson, in his opening arguments. (story) The defense play has raised the anger of transgender advocacy groups because it implies that some of the blame of Araujo's death fall on her own shoulders.
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