Disturbing new developments in the tragic case of Marcellus Andrews, the 19-year-old who was fatally beaten in Waterloo, Iowa over the weekend. Detectives believe the college student was beaten with a baseball bat ... but they insist this was "not" a hate crime.
The Courier has details on the murder weapon:
Police said they are looking into the possibility that a club or a bat was used in the Friday morning fight. Marcellus Andrews died Sunday of blunt force head trauma.
[Police] have information showing a blunt instrument was involved in the fight. He said investigators are trying to determine what it was and who was wielding it.
Police confirm that anti-gay taunts such as "faggot" were yelled by the group of assailants. But this will not be investigated as a hate crime, reports the Des Moines Register.
"We've done multiple interviews and we have heard those allegations, but this was not because of his persuasion or the perception of his persuasion," [Lt. Michael McNamee, Waterloo police spokesman] said. "These were all people who knew each other, and there was some bad blood between the two parties involved."
The disputes date back at least a year, and arguments escalated throughout Thursday and involved a vehicle being vandalized, McNamee said. "It all culminated in that area early Friday morning."
LGBT activists are outraged, reports Radio Iowa.
Troy Price is executive director of the gay rights organization One Iowa. "The language that was used during this attack is very alarming and very concerning to us," Price said. "Regardless of how the investigation turns out as to whether this was a hate crime or not, the fact is there was derogatory, hurtful and harmful language. This person was taunted for what appears to be his perceived sexuality."
Detectives confirm that suspects have been identified. Despite eyewitness reports, there have been "no arrests" and no warrants have been sought.
Marcellus Andrews was slated to start the interior design program at Hawkeye Community College on Monday.
Keep moving. Nothing to see here. Just a Black gay teenager beaten to death with a baseball bat in broad daylight.
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No Arrests After Fatal Anti-Gay Beating of Teen
This is sad. How could nobody be arrested for this?
Posted by: Zambos27 | 25 August 2011 at 00:46
WTF, this was definitely a hate crime. The cops must be some kind of homophobes to not see this!!
Posted by: andreu | 25 August 2011 at 09:27
Sorry but 12:45a.m. is midnight.
Posted by: gb | 25 August 2011 at 13:42