A memorial for JaParker Deoni Jones, killed a year ago this week, drew more than 100 people, including D.C.’s mayor, the Washington Blade reports.
The man suspected of killing Jones, Gary Niles Montgomery, has been charged with first-degree murder while armed, but Jones’ family has called for classifying the stabbing as a hate crime.
Jones’ friends and family members have said they believe the true motive was hatred toward a transgender person rather than robbery. At the time of Montgomery’s arrest, a police investigator said police were considering the possibility that the incident was a hate crime.
When asked about the family’s and community’s concerns over the lack of a hate crime designation to the case, Gray told reporters after the memorial ended that he would ask the D.C. Attorney General’s office to look into the matter.
“I think there ought to be a clear indication of why or why not this is viewed or not viewed as a hate crime,” Gray said. “The family clearly is not satisfied. And I think we all owe it to them to give a clear explanation over why the direction of the case is proceeding the way it is.”
Gray added, “We can get our attorney general to make a statement to the U.S. Attorney’s office to say we want a clear determination on this situation. And let the family have peace on this because they clearly are still very restive about this whole situation.”
At the event, Mayor Vincent Gray announced a new effort by the Office of GLBT Affairs to push for harsher punishments in hate crime cases, MyFoxDC reports:
