A Washington D.C. Superior Court judge has sentenced Antwan Holcomb to 66 years in prison for the December 2009 murder of Anthony Perkins. The victim was one of two Black DC-area gay men lured to their death through phone and internet chat rooms in a two week span.
In March, the 21-year-old Holcomb was convicted of felony first-degree murder while armed for the shooting death of Perkins. Prosecutors said the 29-year-old Perkins met Holcomb through the "DC Raven" phone chat line, was lured to his death in a deserted alley and killed over a pack of Newport cigarettes.
The convicted killer was on a violent crime spree, reports the Washington Blade.
"It is difficult to imagine a more senseless murder, but it is not surprising from a criminal who two weeks earlier shot another man in the back, paralyzing him from the waist down," said aid Ronald C. Machen Jr., the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia,
Machen was referring to a separate incident in which Holcomb pleaded guilty to charges of assault with intent to kill and assault with a dangerous weapon. In a combined sentencing hearing Thursday, Judge Lee Satterfield sentenced Holcomb to an additional 22 years of incarceration for those offenses, resulting in a combined sentence of 88 years in prison.
In his trial for the Perkins murder, a Superior Court jury found Holcomb guilty of first-degree murder while armed, armed robbery, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and carrying a pistol without a license outside the home.
Holcomb regularly used chat lines to target gay men, reported the Washington Post. "I’m a cold-blooded man," he told the detectives. "I don’t like fags. I never will."
Perkins was one of three Black gay men killed in Southeast D.C. between December 2009 and May 2010.
Two weeks after Perkins' murder, the body of another gay man was discovered only blocks away. On January 10, the body of Maryland resident Gordon Rivers was found gunned down next to his car. Police charged two men aged 17 and 22 with first degree murder. Police said Rivers met his assailants via an internet chat room.
In May 2011, one of the cases was dropped and the remaining defendant plead to second-degree murder. The sentence was only 12 years behind bars.
The body of 38-year-old Michael McKoy was discovered May 27th and he became the third gay man to be killed in Anacostia within a six-month time frame. That case remains open.
You May Want to Read ...
DC Man Convicted of Luring Gay Man to Death
12 Year Sentence for Killer of MD Gay Man
Gay Man Stabbed to Death in D.C.
DC: 2nd Gay Man Killed in 2 Weeks
Juvenile Arrested in the Shooting Murder of Gay MD Man
Does things really get better? I live in PG County and to know that a gay man like Gordon Rivers can be brutally murdered because of his sexuality and the killers are captured than weeks later set free is extremely horrifying to me. It honestly pushes me deeper into the closet. I want to know why was one of the killers case dropped and the other murderer only given 12 years? If i was to die tomorrow because i am gay would my killers continue to be able to roam freely to kill who ever whenever. This leaves me deeply sadden and afraid.
Posted by: Larry | 02 July 2011 at 16:05
Rip to Michael Sandy, and all the others we have lost to this madness.
Posted by: ThatRealTea | 03 July 2011 at 02:27
kudos!
karma is real...
http://aliciabanks.xanga.com/732741843/black-homohatred-kills---a-eulogy-for-sakia-gunn/?page=3&jump=1517635448&leftcmt=1#1517635448
Posted by: ALICIA BANKS | 03 July 2011 at 03:54
Unfortunately, race is the difference in terms of sentencing. had that been a white man or women, the charges would have stuck with a more harsh punishment. The message is clear, if your not rich or white, or a child, chances are they may walk and in some cases never may it took to prison.(over populated prisons.
Posted by: antoine | 03 July 2011 at 05:01
The harsh reality is that LGBT of color, specifically those who are Black and Latino, are disposable. Society doesn't care, our so-called communities don't care, hell, some us don't even care. There's truly a lack of empathy every where.
Posted by: Account Deleted | 03 July 2011 at 08:25
Their deaths are so tragic and heart-wrenching. I'm glad that evil SOB who killed Anthony Perkins will be in jail for a loooooonnng time though! Rest in peace to all the men that were taken away so horribly and too soon.
Posted by: MW09 | 03 July 2011 at 09:46
Anyone remember the young man found in the dumpster in ATL, after he was killed by older "trade?" He was so beautiful. They always trying to hurt us, I hate these psychos.
Posted by: ThatRealTea | 03 July 2011 at 16:56
I co-sign, it's scary, that's why i don't mess w/anyone, don't try to holla, or be holla'd at. that's so sad there is no justice for us men of color who happen to be gay. It's no joke so everybody be careful.
Posted by: Sag1970 | 03 July 2011 at 19:22