In Puerto Rico, Juan José Martínez Matos has pled guilty for the brutal murder of gay teenager Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado that occurred last November, EDGE Boston reported. Matos—who had been charged with stabbing Mercado to death before decapitating, dismembering and burning his body—had been scheduled to go on trial May 17.
Judge Miriam Camila Jusino immediately sentenced Matos to 99 years in prison.
Mercado's father, Jorge Lopez, tearfully said, "I want to send a message to Juan ( Casper ) and tell him there is hope in Christ. 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."
Across the United States, thousands of people held marches and vigils during the days after Mercado's death. In Chicago, a vigil was held Nov. 22; Representatives from Amigas Latinas, UNID@S, Young Women's Empowerment Project, La Casa Norte, Orgullo en Accion, Vida/SIDA, Boricua PRIDE and the Association of Latino Men for Action ( ALMA ) were at the event, among others. In addition, politicians such as state Rep. Greg Harris and Cook County State's Attorney LGBTQ Liaison Vernita Gray spoke. ( The main organizers were Juan Calderon of VIDA/SIDA; Jorge Felix of Boricua PRIDE; Ruben D. Feliciano of ALMA and Boricua PRIDE; and Ed Negron of Orgullo en Accion. )
In an e-mail to Windy City Times, Negron stated that the confession/sentencing "was a bittersweet victory. On the one hand it's good to see that there was some justice served in the brutal murder of Jorge Steven and his family was able to find some peace. On the other hand, the murderer was never charged with a hate crime, even when he himself told the police 'he hated homosexuals.'
"Not only does Puerto Rico have a hate crimes law that was enacted in 2002, but President Obama just signed into law the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. This tells me that we still have a ton of work ahead us."
Harris said, "It has to be a relief to [ Mercado's ] family, the LGBT community and even the Puerto Rican community in Chicago that the perpetrator has been caught and will not be free to prey on anyone else again."
Gray e-mailed, "It does not matter whether the perpetrator of that horrendous crime gets 99 or 999 years. Nothing can bring that child back to his mother's arms. Every year on his birthday his mother will have to look at a picture and remember her child. At the young age of 19, Steven was truly beginning his life only to have it ended because of his gender expression and or sexual orientation. It is Steven's family, friends and community who will always suffer the loss of such a young shining star.
"Let us hope that the 99-year sentence will send a message to anyone who might consider doing such a crime that such hateful behavior will never be tolerated in any community."
The Chicago City Council adopted a resolution Dec. 2 regarding Mercado. The resolution, signed by Aldermen Manny Flores and Tom Tunney, called for, among other things, the council's Committee on Human Relations to conduct a study of homophobic and transphobic hate crimes in Chicago.
