He Murdered a Woman. A Court Overturned His Conviction because the Victim Was Trans.

Tennessee Court Vacates Conviction in Trans Woman’s Killing

The court ruled that excluding Paris Lee's transgender identity undermined Samuel Ward Jr.'s self-defense claim.

Why a Tennessee Court Is Revisiting the Killing of Trans Woman

A Tennessee appeals court has overturned a man's manslaughter conviction in the killing of a Black trans woman, ordering a new trial over evidence the jury

He murdered a woman. A court overturned his conviction because the victim was trans.

A man convicted of killing a Black transgender woman should have been allowed to use the victim’s sex assigned at birth as part of his defense, a Tennessee appellate court ruled last week. In its October 5 ruling, a three-judge panel for the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals overturned Samuel Ward Jr.’s May 2025 conviction for the murder of 36-year-old Paris Lee, a transgender woman with whom Ward had been in a sexual relationship, according t…

Appeals court overturns manslaughter conviction in killing of Black trans woman

An appellate court in Tennessee has reversed a voluntary manslaughter conviction for a man who shot and killed a Black transgender woman, ruling that the trial court erred by excluding evidence of the victim's assigned sex at birth.