NEW YORK (AP) — A man charged with beating a transgender woman to death in Harlem told police he “didn’t want to be fooled.”
James Dixon is charged with manslaughter and assault in the Aug. 17, 2013 death of 21-year-old Islan Nettles.
The New York Times reports that a videotape of Dixon’s confession was played during a pretrial hearing Friday.
The 25-year-old Dixon told detectives that he started talking with Nettles on the street, not realizing she was a transgender woman.
Never Miss a Beat
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights.
Dixon said in the interview that he became enraged when one of his friends taunted him, saying, “That’s a guy.”
Prosecutors say Nettles died of head injuries she sustained when her head hit the pavement as Dixon hit her. She was taken off life support after a week in a coma.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.