Man sentenced to life in prison for ‘senseless’ hate crime murder of transgender girlfriend

A man has been jailed for life for the hate crime murder of Black transgender woman, Pebbles LaDime “Dime” Doe. 

In February, a jury unanimously found Daqua Ritter guilty of killing 24-year-old “Dime” Doe. He was accused of shooting her in August 2019, in what prosecutors described as a fit of rage, fuelled by news of their relationship spreading more widely.

Appearing in a federal court in Columbia, South Carolina, on Thursday (17 October), Ritter was sentenced on hate crime, firearms and obstruction charges. Judge Sherri Lydon said the “senselessness of the crime” warranted a life sentence without the possibility of parole. 

Doe’s mother, Debra Saab, spoke during the sentencing, saying: “Every day is a struggle”, adding that Ritter “shouldn’t get to see the light of day”.

Attorneys stand with the family of Dime Doe after judge hands down life sentence to her convicted killer, Daqua Ritter @wachfox pic.twitter.com/oLbGx5F9pw

— Claire Foley (@clairefoleytv) October 17, 2024

FBI supervisory special agent Anthony Snead said: “This case is a testament to years of hard work and our prioritisation of civil rights investigations, to include hate crimes, where individuals are targeted with violence due to their protected characteristics.

“We want to stress to these communities that the FBI is listening. We hear you, we stand with you and we will use every resource we have to seek justice for victims, their families and all communities.”

‘Historic case’

Following the guilty verdict, assistant attorney general Kristen Clarke, with the US Justice Department’s civil rights division, said: “This case is historic. This defendant is the first to be found guilty by trial verdict for a hate crime motivated by gender identity under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.

“We want the Black trans community to know that you are seen and heard, that we stand with the LGBTQI+ community and that we will use every tool available to seek justice for victims and their families.”

The court had heard that Ritter lured Doe to a remote spot before shooting her three times in the head. He then burned the clothes he was wearing, disposed of the murder weapon, and repeatedly lied when questioned. The prosecution proved the crime was committed because of Doe’s gender identity.

Family and friends said Doe would be remembered for having a “bright personality” and being the “life of the party”. 

According to tracking by the Human Rights Campaign, at least 27 trans and gender-expansive people have been killed so far this year. Almost three quarters of those were people of colour, while 48 per cent were Black trans women. 

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