PUERTO RICO: Parents React To Guilty Plea From Gay Son's Killer

Activist Pedro Julio Serrano and the parents of murdered gay teen Jorge Mercado spoke to the local news after their son's killer plead guilty. You don't have to speak one word of Spanish to be moved by this.

PUERTO RICO: Guilty Plea In Murder Of Gay Teen Jorge Mercado

Juan José Martínez Matos has pleaded guilty to the murder of gay Puerto Rican teenager Jorge Mercado (left), whose decapitated and burned body was found by a roadside last November. Mercado's murder caused an international outcry and forced activists to pressure the federal government to ensure that the case was prosecuted as a hate crime by Puerto Rican authorities. Michael Lavers at Edge reports:

Martínez told the court he understood the consequences of his actions, and Judge Miriam Camila Jusino immediately sentenced him to 99 years in prison. Primera Hora reported López’s parents, Myriam Mercado and Jorge López, hugged prosecutor Yaritza Carrasquillo after the hearing. Mercado told the newspaper, however, Martínez’s confession was bittersweet for her and her family. "We are able to find a bit of peace in this aspect, but it still not going to return Steven," she said. "But at least there is justice in Puerto Rico." Jorge López evoked his faith. "I want to send a message to Juan (Casper) and tell him there is hope in Christ," said López with tears in his eyes. "The lord has forgiveness for him, Irregardless of what has happened. God has a plan for him if he opens his heart to Christ. God will forgive him also."

Killer Of Gay Teen Jorge Mercado Found Competent To Stand Trial

The confessed killer of gay teen Jorge Mercado has been found competent to stand trial. Last month Juan Martinez Matos was ordered to undergo mental evaluation after exhibiting symptoms of what some said was a faked state of psychosis. Via Michael Lavers at Edge:

"The quest for justice has begun," Pedro Julio Serrano of the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force told EDGE in a text message sent from inside the court house. Local authorities have pledged to prosecute Martínez under the territory’s hate crimes laws, but activists and elected officials on the island and around the country remain outraged over Gov. Luis Fortuño’s continued silence. "There are a lot of people who are extremely angry about how the governor has responded to this situation," New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn said as she spoke at a fundraiser for López’s family at the Nuyorican Poets Café on Manhattan’s Lower East Side on Tuesday night. Quinn is among the lawmakers-City Councilmembers Rosie Mendez [D-Lower East Side] and Melissa Mark-Viverito [D-East Harlem,] among others--from the five boroughs and Chicago who will travel to Puerto Rico on Tuesday to meet with López’s family and LGBT activists.

Serrano told me by phone today that the next step will a February 2nd hearing of the charges. If you are new to this story, in November Matos confessed to stabbing, burning, and dismembering 19 year old Jorge Mercado in what Matos is claiming was gay panic over discovering that Mercado was male.

Killer Of Gay Teen Jorge Mercado Found Mentally Incompetent To Stand Trial

Juan Martinez Matos, the confessed killer of Puerto Rican gay teen Jorge Mercado, has been found mentally incompetent to stand trial for the time being. But is he faking it?

Psychiatrist Rafael Cabrera urged Caguas Superior Court Judge Camila Jusino to send the 26-year old suspect, Juan Martínez Matos, back to the Forensic Psychiatric Hospital in Río Piedras to keep him under evaluation by the medical staff there. However, Cabrera acknowledged during a preliminary hearing that he is not certain whether the symptoms of psychosis referred to by the defendant are real, feigned or exaggerated.

Under questioning by prosecutor Yaritza Carrasquillo, the psychiatrist agreed that the facts that Martínez Matos says he cannot clearly remember are essentially those of the night of the crime. The judge ordered Martínez Matos to undergo another evaluation on January 7 and set a new hearing on his fitness to face criminal proceedings for January 13. Gay rights activist Pedro Julio Serrano was quick to criticize the court developments. “Although full justice can never be done, as Jorge Steven is no longer with us, the process of prosecuting the confessed murderer in one of the most heinous crimes committed in the history of our country has been delayed again,” Serrano said in a statement .

Note that the above-linked story describes Mercado as a "19 year-old transvestite," despite there being no evidence other than the killer's word that Mercado was in drag at the time that Matos decapitated him and burned his body.

You Don't Get To Kill Somebody Because He Is Wearing A Dress

In his confession to the decapitation murder of gay teen Jorge Mercado, Juan Martinez Matos (left) claimed that Mercado had been dressed as a woman in an area known for prostitution, driving him, he claimed, to murder Mercado in "gay panic" once he discovered Mercado's true gender. But according to Puerto Rican activist Pedro Julio Serrano, those close to Mercado are calling bullshit on that claim. Via Doug Ireland at Gay City News:

“None of Jorge Steven’s friends, and I’ve spoken to many of them, knew anything about his ever having engaged in sex work, not his family, and not the police,” Serrano, who met with investigators on the case, told this reporter. “Nor was he known as a cross-dresser. He identified and lived as a very proud gay man, he was very genuine and authentic. He was just very fashion-oriented and what you could call a gender-bender, but not in a transgendered way.” Serrano added, “We do not know if the murderer’s claim that Jorge Steven was wearing a dress is true or not, because the body had been so dismembered, its legs and arms and torso strewn in different locations, and it had also been burned along with the clothes he was wearing.” In footage aired on Telemundo-Puerto Rico, Martínez was asked by a reporter if he was gay, to which he replied no, and added, López “tried to kill me.” When he realized that López was a man, Martínez said he regressed to an incident when he was sexually assaulted during a prison term, Telemundo and local reports said. “He had a deep-seated rage,” said prosecutor Bermudez. Martínez’ lawyer has since indicated that he will employ a “gay panic” defense.

Obviously, whether Mercado was in drag or not, or was a sex worker or not, is completely irrelevant to the horrific crime committed against him. That his killer is claiming such is evidence that he knows he can gain more sympathy if others believe he was "tricked" by a man pretending to be a woman. Sadly, that belief is not limited to outsiders. Below, Pedro Julio Serrano ferociously criticizes the audience at a gay nightclub for anti-trans comments made in the wake of Jorge Mercado's murder.

Puerto Rico To Investigate Murder Of Gay Teen Jorge Mercado As A Hate Crime

After an outcry from the LGBT community at home and here on the mainland, the government of Puerto Rico has agreed to investigate the murder of gay teen Jorge Mercado as a hate crime. Activists had called on US. Attorney General Eric Holder to intervene if Puerto Rico had refused. Via Michael Lavers:

Puerto Rican authorities have agreed to investigate Jorge Steven López Mercado's murder as a hate crime after they met with local representatives of the American Civil Liberties Union. Nuevo Dia reported William Ramírez, executive director of the ACLU and the University of Puerto Rico's Legal Clinic, pointed out to Puerto Rico Department of Justice Secretary Antonio Sagardía the Commonwealth has a history of "not investigating hate crimes cases" like the one he said to which Juan A. Martínez Matos reportedly has confessed. "The ACLU has tried to get the government to accept its responsibility to investigate cases... that are hate crimes, particularly that of young Jorge Steven López Mercado," Ramírez said in a statement. "We should not be satisfied with the possibility the federal government will do what our government is not interested in doing; which is to protect every citizen."

I'll follow this case to its conclusion.

The Funeral Of Jorge Mercado

Openly gay teenager Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado, the victim of one of the most gruesome hate crimes in memory, was buried in Puerto Rico yesterday. Clip and subtitles by Andres Duque at Blabbeando. Get out a tissue. Get out two.

Hundreds Gather At NYC Memorial For Murdered Gay Teen Jorge Mercado

Hundreds of New Yorkers gathered on the chilly Christopher Street Pier tonight to honor the memory of murdered gay teen Jorge Mercado and to call on the federal and Puerto Rican governments to charge his killer with a hate crime. A broad coalition of LGBT, Hispanic, and progressive groups were represented by numerous speakers who spoke in English and Spanish (and more often, both).

Newly elected and openly gay NYC Councilman Daniel Dromm (D-Queens) and openly lesbian NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn both took turns reciting the litany of horrific violence rained down upon the community in the last year, followed by the tearful and quavering recounting of such an attack by a survivor. But it was recently installed GLAAD president Jarrett Barrios whose fiery and impassioned bilingual speech that most impressed me.

From "Action Step #5" on a flier handed out to attendees:

"Email the Governor of Puerto Rico, Honorable Luis G. Fortuno and encourage him to make a public statement condemning this violence and ensure that local law enforcement fully investigate the possibility that the individuals responsible for this act be charged with a hate crime. Governor's Phone: 787-721-7000. Senate President: 787-725-2424 ext. 3003,. Email: ecruz@fortaleza.gobierno.pr.

I was really impressed at all the young people that turned out and that most of the local news stations bothered to cover the event.

UPDATE: Here's the speech by GLAAD's Jarrett Barrios.

Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado, 19

Via Andres Duque at Blabbeando, the mother of murdered gay teen Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado shares her grief. (Mercado's mother is pictured above with activist Pedro Julio Serrano. They are recreating Mercado's signature salute, seen below.)

"When my son told me he was gay, I told him, 'Now, I love you more'. I want to tell the world that hatred is not born with human beings, it is a seed that is planted by adults and is fostered creating a climate of intolerance and violence. We must change our ways and understand that anyone... could have been my son. And I want everybody to know that Jorge Steven was a very much loved son."

Mercado's body was found burned and decapitated last week. Juan Martinez Matos, 25, has confessed to the murder and appears to be planning a "gay panic" defense. Memorial vigils in Mercado's honor have been taking place around the nation. New Yorkers will gather today at 5PM at the Christopher Street Pier.

BELOW: Clip 1 -Puerto Rico-based activist and National Gay & Lesbian Task Force staffer Pedro Julio Serrano speaks at a rally in San Juan. (Subtitles by Andres Duque.) Clip 2 - A photo tribute created by Mercado's friends, who knew him as Steven.

Jorge Mercado Vigils To Take Place This Weekend Nationwide

JMG reader Sean Chapin created this clip publicizing the memorial vigils to take place around the country this weekend in honor of murdered gay teen Jorge Mercado.

Puerto Rico: "Gay Panic" Defense In Murder Of Gay Teen Jorge Mercado

Juan Martinez Matos, 25, is being held on $4M bond in San Juan, Puerto Rico after confessing to the decapitation murder of 19 year-old gay teen Jorge Mercado. The killer is claiming "gay panic" after he discovered that Mercado, who was in drag, was a male.

Martinez met Lopez while looking for women Thursday night in an area known for prostitution, according to prosecutor Jose Bermudez Santos. Bermudez said the suspect confessed to stabbing Lopez, who was dressed as a woman, after discovering he was a man. "He has a deep-seated rage," Bermudez said in remarks reported by the newspaper El Nuevo Dia. "All the information we have is very clear that this is indeed a hate crime," said Pedro Julio Serrano, a Puerto Rico native who is a spokesman for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. A 2002 hate crime law in this U.S. territory has not been applied to any cases involving sexual orientation or gender identity despite calls to use it more aggressively, Serrano said.

A suspect convicted of a hate crime offense as part of another crime automatically faces the maximum penalty for the underlying crime. For murder, that would be life in prison. Serrano said he has identified at least 10 slayings on the island over the last seven years that should have been investigated as hate crimes, including some in which the victims were sex workers. Two U.S. Congress members from New York, who are of Puerto Rican origin, have suggested prosecuting the case under new federal hate crimes legislation that extended coverage to sexual orientation. President Barack Obama signed it last month. The FBI is monitoring the investigation, and Lymarie Llovet Ayala, a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office in San Juan, said Wednesday that federal prosecutors are considering whether to take on the case.

Vigils in memory of Jorge Mercado will take place across the United States this weekend. New Yorkers will gather at the Christopher Street Pier at 5pm on Sunday. (I will attend and provide coverage.) A website has been established with information about vigils in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Durham, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Oakland, Philadelphia, and San Francisco.

Puerto Rico: Arrest Made In Gruesome Decapitation Murder Of Gay Teen

Puerto Rico police have made an arrest in the gruesome murder of openly gay 19 year-old Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado, whose decapitated and burned body was found in a wooded area on Friday. Towleroad writes:

Today, the paper Primera Hora reports that a 28-year-old man has been arrested as a suspect in the murder and and two vehicles have been seized as evidence. The man is scheduled to be questioned today. The paper reports that the man was targeted after extensive interviews with Mercado's friends in the town of Caguas, where Mercado was living. They report that the man offered Mercado money for sex. Harry Rodriguez of the FBI said the agency is monitoring the case, and is willing to provide assistance, if necessary, in the investigation with regard to DNA evidence. Said Rodriguez: "The FBI is monitoring this investigation with the police of Puerto Rico because there are federal statutes under the laws of civil rights violations covered by hate crimes." Allegations of homophobia against the investigating officer Angel Rodriguez, who suggested that Mercado deserved what he got because of the "type of lifestyle" he was leading, were dismissed by the supervising officer Jose Figueroa Sanchez. They were, however, condemned by Executive Director of the Civil Rights Commission Vance Thomas, who said: "In addition to investigating, administrative charges must be filed. I know of no context in which an officer can justify that a person ought to be killed."

Outrage is swelling in Puerto Rico over a statement made by the local police. Via Michael K. Lavers at Edge:

Investigator Angel Rodriguez’s assertion López, 19, somehow caused his own death sparked widespread outrage and anger among Puerto Rican activists. "When these type of people get into this and go out into the streets like this, they know this can happen to them," Rodriguez said a statement local media outlets broadcast and reported. Puerto Rico’s Civil Rights Commission and Puerto Rico Para Tod@s, a local activist organization, have asked the Puerto Rico Police Department to take disciplinary action against Rodriguez. The PRPD has removed the investigator from the case, but local activists plan to protest outside the territorial capital in San Juan on Thursday. They also plan to hold a vigil later this week.

AmericaBlog has set up an action page for you to call on the Department of Justice to fully investigate Mercado's murder as a potential hate crime. Puerto Rico has had hate crimes legislation since 2002, but to date has not prosecuted anyone for hate crimes against a gay person.

A vigil and demonstration in Mercado's memory and against hate crimes will be held this Sunday at 8pm in New York City. Facebook page here, location to be determined.