THREE BLACK GAY MEN MURDERED IN NEW ORLEANS, POLICE HUNT FOR SUSPECTS
Gay American Heroes Foundation

Thanks to Lisa Moore, the fab editor of black LGBT-themed Redbone Press, for the heads up. New Orleans police have identified three black men who were gunned down in a 7th Ward home. The men were apparently gay, one possibly transgender, and police "believe the three victims knew their killers."

The victims were all from Mississippi and living together in a home on the 2500 block of Pauger Street. They are identified as Felix Pearson, 19; Kenneth Monroe, 27; and Darriel Wilson, 20. Nola.com reports the men were found Saturday afternoon after the building manager "said he saw the lower half of a man's body through a window and called 911."

Initial reports suggest the victims were black gay men and one possibly trans. A police source is quoted as saying "one" of the victim's "was wearing women's clothes." The Times Picayune also publishes a crime scene photo and the victims friends are clearly family. Local radio reports have reportedly outed the victims, says Eddie Warren, a Rod 2.0 reader in Metaire. "The victims were identified as gay on a call-in show on WYLD," he says, referring to a popular black station
Friends of Darriel Wilson have created a memorial page on Facebook.

So far there are more than 180 friends-many are from Mississippi and/or Wilson's hometown of Hattiesburg-and clearly many are other black gay men. Several Facebook friends are members of the ballroom community, too. Funeral arrangements are not complete for Wilson. No word yet on arrangements for Pearson and Monroe. There is also no word yet on a possible motive for the triple murder but it may be too early to speculate on a hate crime theory. There were no signs of a home invasion and authorities believe "the victims and their killer or killers were associates and may have entered the home together."Regardless of the motive, there are three more deaths of black gay men to add to the crime blotter. What a way to end the year.

Victim's Identified in 7th Ward Triple Murder [Nola]
Three Men Found Shot to Death in 7th Ward [Nola]

Soruce

http://rodonline.typepad.com/rodonline/2008/12/three-black-gay-men-killed-in-new-orleans-police-hunt-for-suspects.html Full Story. [12/29/08]