If Missouri Governor Mike Parson does not grant clemency to Amber McLaughlin, she will become the first transgender person executed in the US. She was convicted of killing her former girlfriend in 2003. Her attorney Larry Komp stated that there are no appeals pending.
According to her lawyer, McLaughlin's mental health issues were never brought up during her trial. In her clemency application, she cited various issues, such as her traumatic childhood and the incident in which her foster parent rubbed her face with feces. She also stated that her adoptive father would use a stun gun to discipline her, and she tried to commit suicide multiple times as well.
In addition, the petition states that McLaughlin has been diagnosed with gender dysphoria, which is a condition that causes intense distress and other symptoms due to the disparity between one's birth sex and their gender identity.
Larry said that there is a lot of hate around transgender issues, but he praised McLaughlin for her courage in addressing this matter. He noted that her clemency request is not focused on her sexual identity.
Kelli Jones, the spokesperson of Governor Mike Parson, stated that the review of McLaughlin's clemency request is still ongoing.
According to the Death penalty Information Center, there have been no known cases of an inmate being executed for being transgender in the U S.
Before she transitioned, McLaughlin was in a romantic relationship with Beverly Guenther. According to court records, McLaughlin would often show up at her former girlfriend's workplace in St. Louis, and she would sometimes hide inside the building. Guenther then obtained a restraining order against McLaughlin, and police officers would sometimes accompany her after work.
On November 20, 2003, the neighbors of Guenther called the police to report that she had not returned home. When the officers arrived, they found a trail of blood near her car and a broken knife handle. A day later, McLaughlin told the police that her former girlfriend's body had been dumped in the Mississippi River.
After she was found guilty of first-degree murder, McLaughlin was sentenced to death. However, a court ruled that her sentence was too harsh, and in 2016, a federal appeals court reinstated the death penalty.
Before she transitioned, one individual who knew McLaughlin was Jessica Hicklin. She spent over two decades in prison for a drug related killing that occurred in western Missouri in 1995. Due to her age at the time of the crime, she was granted release early in 2022.
Hicklin started transitioning while she was in prison. In 2016, she sued the Missouri Department Of Corrections, claiming that its policy prevented transgender inmates from receiving hormone therapy. In 2018, she won the case, and she became a mentor for McLaughlin.
Hicklin and McLaughlin were in prison together for around ten years, and she noted that McLaughlin was often too shy to interact with her. As she started transitioning, McLaughlin asked Hicklin for advice on various issues. These included getting help with her mental health and ensuring her safety in a male-dominated facility.
Hicklin noted that she helped McLaughlin navigate through the various bureaucratic procedures in order to file the necessary paperwork. Eventually, their friendship grew.
Hicklin referred to their weekly conversations as girl talk, and she noted that McLaughlin was always ready to share her dad jokes.
They talked about the various challenges that transgender inmates face in a male-dominated prison. These include dealing with rude comments, being able to access feminine items, and staying safe.
According to Hicklin, McLaughlin had many insecurities, especially regarding her well-being. She also felt afraid of being victimized or assaulted. This was common for transgender inmates in the Department of Corrections.
Bonnie Heady was the only woman executed in Missouri. She was put to death on December 18, 1953, for abducting and killing a six-year-old boy. Her execution was carried out in a gas chamber, alongside Carl Austin Hall.
In 2022, 18 individuals were executed across the country. In Missouri, two people were put to death. Kevin Johnson was executed for ambushing a police officer in November of that year. Carmen Deck was also executed in May for killing Zelma Long and James Long during a robbery.
On February 7, 2019, Leonard Taylor will be executed for killing his girlfriend, her three young children, and his own mother.
The preceding is a summary of an article that originally appeared on Washington Examiner.
