In a recent development, a transgender individual, Moses J. Lopez, was sentenced to a 22-year prison term for the brutal murder of a taxi driver in Portland.
The 30-year-old convict showed no remorse during the hearing and declined to offer an apology to the bereaved family. Lopez was found guilty of first-degree manslaughter and unlawful use of a weapon.
The sentencing was presided over by Multnomah County Judge Heidi Moawad, who offered Lopez a plea deal. This deal involved a guilty plea from Lopez in return for the dismissal of a separate case. The dismissed case pertained to allegations of Lopez threatening two employees at a Bi-Mart in Coos County. This incident reportedly took place a few days before the murder. Following this, Lopez was released without bail and subsequently traveled to Portland from Coos Bay, Oregon.
Lopez, a biological male who transitioned to female, was convicted of the unprovoked fatal stabbing of 43-year-old Radio Cab driver, Reese McDowell Lawhon. The incident occurred on April 9, 2023, when Lopez, a passenger in the back seat, stabbed Lawhon in the neck with brass-style knuckles that had an attached blade, as per court documents.
The prosecution presented video evidence of the murder, obtained from surveillance footage inside the Radio Cab. The video showed Lopez, dressed in women's clothing and wearing a tiara, at the time of the attack.
During the hearing, Lopez cited her transgender identity as a rationale for the murder and reportedly laughed at the victim's family in court, as reported by the Oregonian. Claire Pearce, Lawhon's sister, expressed her grief during the hearing, stating, "We tell our kids so many times that monsters arent under the bed or in the closet, but its all a lie." She further added, "Moses Lopez is a monster and will always be one," as reported by the outlet.
Lopez, showing no remorse, smiled at Pearce's comment. The defendant refused to take responsibility for the murder, offering a series of excuses for the crime. These included losing her debit card, Lawhon entering the wrong address, and static over the radio.
Lopez alleged that she had dialed 911 after a night out in downtown Portland took a turn for the worse. The 911 dispatcher advised her to call a cab. Lopez claimed that Lawhon had entered the wrong address, which reportedly triggered her. "I ended up in a very scary part of town where I was genuinely afraid," said Lopez, according to the Oregonian.
Lopez refused to apologize, stating, "I refuse to apologize for the lack of help that I so desperately needed," and claimed to be a frequent target of harassment due to her transgender identity.
However, court documents revealed that Lawhon had immediately corrected the address upon picking up Lopez outside a donut shop in the downtown corridor. Lopez stabbed him while he was driving to the correct address, as evidenced by footage from the camera inside the cab.
Radio Cab spokesperson Darin Campbell expressed his disdain for Lopez's excuses in a post-hearing interview, stating, "The excuses that were made in the courtroom today for (Lopezs) actions are disgraceful."
Ginger Lawhon, the victim's mother, remotely addressed the court, stating, "Words cannot express the horror, pain and finality of this crime. Reeses death was senseless and we are more than heartbroken. However, we refuse to define his life by this ending."
The Oregonian reported that Lopez was seen laughing and waving goodbye at the end of the hearing before being taken into custody to serve her prison sentence.
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