A person from Vancouver, Washington convicted of the homicide of transgender youngsters Nikki Kuhnhausen was sentenced to twenty years in jail on Thursday. A jury discovered David Bogdanov, 27, responsible of second diploma homicide and malicious harassment in late August, which is a hate crime beneath Washington regulation, reported The Columbian.
Amanda Cowan / AP
Previous to the sentencing, Clark County Superior Courtroom Decide David Gregerson grew to become emotional, saying he was “struck by darkness on this case.”
Kuhnhausen, 17, was reported lacking in June 2019, and a hiker discovered her cranium within the woods close to Larch Mountain in japanese Clark County in December 2019. The police arrested Bogdanov days later.
Prosecutors mentioned Bogdanov strangled Kuhnhausen with a mobile phone charger after studying that she was transgender throughout a sexual encounter in his van.
After disposing of her physique, Bogdanov booked a one-way flight to Ukraine and known as a good friend to “do away with” his automotive, in response to witness statements. He returned to america about six weeks later.
KOIN TV
Bogdanov’s attorneys alleged he acted in self-defense and mentioned they might enchantment the conviction and verdict.
Bogdanov testified that he pushed Kuhnhausen away and instructed her to get out of his automotive and that she pounced on a loaded gun that he had close to the driving force’s seat. Bogdanov mentioned he wrapped the cellphone charger round her shoulders to drag her away, however the twine slipped round her neck.
Gregerson famous on the conviction that there was a component of theft within the case since Kuhnhausen was 17 years outdated and Bogdanov was 25 on the time and Bogdanov admitted in the course of the trial that he had given Kuhnhausen alcohol.
The choose additionally famous testimony that Bogdanov lied to the police in the course of the six months they have been absent, prolonging the struggling and agony of the household and neighborhood.
Kuhnhausen’s mom, Lisa Woods, instructed the newspaper exterior the courtroom that she believed the choose honored Kuhnhausen’s life.
The variety of hate crimes reported in 2020 was the very best in over a decade, in response to FBI information launched final month. Incidents of hate in opposition to transgender individuals additionally elevated from 186 offenses in 2019 to 232 offenses in 2020.
2019 – the yr Kuhnhausen was discovered lifeless – was that deadliest yr on document for victims of hate crimes for the reason that FBI started recording assaults that killed 51 individuals within the early Nineties.
Trending information
Obtain our free app
For the most recent information and evaluation, obtain the free CBS Information app
[ad_2]
