A prostitute is facing second-degree murder charges after a man was found dead near Crissy Field in San Francisco, California, on November 12.
Officials arrested and charged 20-year-old Leion Butler on November 22, SFist reported Saturday.
Butler claims he shot 32-year-old Hamza Walupupu in self-defense during a dispute. The victim apparently had discovered the suspect was transgender and wanted his money refunded.
The outlet continued:
According to court documents filed in U.S. District Court, the incident reportedly unfolded on a November night when Butler agreed to a “date” with “everything” with Walupupu, who insisted on taking her to Crissy Field, where Butler was uncomfortable.
The encounter apparently took a dark turn after Butler disclosed her transgender identity following oral sex, prompting Walupupu to demand a refund.
However, the suspect reportedly refused to return the money and the victim tried to push him out of his vehicle.
Butler is accused of killing the man because he would not drive him back to the area where the initial pickup occurred.
Walupupu then tried to get out of the car. However, the suspect pulled a gun out of his purse and allegedly shot the victim.
An image shows the area where the incident allegedly happened:
New details are emerging in the case of Leion Butler, accused of murdering a man at Crissy Field last month. Newly-filed documents detail what amounts to a paid sexual encounter gone awry, with a dispute arising after the victim unexpectedly realized Butler was a transgender… pic.twitter.com/YOZvfYgiPs
— SF Public Safety News (@sf_safetynews) December 8, 2023
The suspect is accused of leaving the body near Crissy Field, then going to Hunters Point to get help from his mother.
The suspect’s mother allegedly helped clean up the vehicle and get rid of the victim’s belongings.
In addition, the SFist report noted another incident over the summer when “Butler allegedly sprayed bear mace at a crowded Pride event, later resisting arrest by assaulting an officer.”
Meanwhile, SF Public Safety News reported Wednesday that officials are apparently holding the suspect in the male wing of the San Francisco County Jail.
The outlet noted that Butler presented himself in court as a woman:
“I don’t think that’s appropriate at all” – a federal public defender in court this morning sharply criticizing the conditions in which his client is being held by @SheriffSF. Leion Butler, described as a transgender woman, and presenting in court as a woman, is reportedly being… pic.twitter.com/uX554p52n3
— SF Public Safety News (@sf_safetynews) December 6, 2023
The suspect’s attorney, David Rizk, said his client is apparently on a safe-keeping hold, “And I thought that was because of her gender – she’s transgender – and they have a transgender unit at San Francisco jail.”
“But she’s currently being held at an all-male unit and I don’t think that’s appropriate at all. There’s no privacy, every cell has a glass door…there’s a whole variety of reasons why that’s inappropriate. I’m concerned about the situation,” he said.
In September, the California State Assembly voted to make the month of August “Transgender History Month,” according to Breitbart News.
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