Unfinished Lives

Remembering LGBT Hate Crime Victims

Brutal Murder of As-Yet-Unidentified Gay Man in Carrollton, Texas Raises Troubling Questions

HomicideInvestigation_689x387_ohu4MCarrollton, Texas – The body of a savagely murdered 22-year-old gay man was found by his housemate in his home in this Dallas suburb on Friday.  Police, who are classifying the investigation as a murder case, are not releasing his identity.  The victim, known by his circle of friends, fellow church members, and work associates as “Shawn,” was found by Tony Adams who shared a home with him in the 2100 block of Placid Drive. Adams discovered the body upon returning home from work. According to the Dallas Voice, the victim was a well-regarded actor in the Dallas arts community, along with Adams.

“Shawn’s” identity has been complicated because he was known by a stage name he had assumed in the theater, and enjoyed using the name as his own in real life. As of Monday, it is not clear whether “Shawn’s” family has been contacted about the homicide.

Both Adams and the victim attended the Metropolitan Community Church of Greater Dallas where Rev. Colleen Darraugh is the pastor.  Pastor Darraugh is quoted by the Dallas Voice as saying that blood covered much of the house. “Evidently it was a brutal beating,” she said, intimating that knives may have been used in the fatal attack. The MCC of Greater Dallas is collecting money to help Adams with the crime-scene cleanup, and with replacing clothing and furnishings that were destroyed in the crime. In an email sent to congregational members and friends, Pastor Darraugh wrote, in part:

“Tony Adams Schmidt is a friend and colleague who some of you know through his work on sound and lighting at Metropolitan Community Church of Greater Dallas and others know through his acting, directing, sound and lighting work in community theatre.

“We regret to share with you that Tony’s housemate, Shawn – whom many of you also know – was brutally killed in their home. The police are actively investigating to apprehend the culprits and to find the motive for this extreme violence.

“We share in grief at the death of Shawn and pray for his family and all of his friends.

“We surround Tony with love and support, praying for him as he deals with his grief and the shock of finding such a horrific scene.”

The email goes on to detail how donations can be made online to the church’s Benevolence Fund.

The nature of the murder, whether it was related to the victim’s sexual orientation, and how the murder gained access to the home are open questions for the LGBTQ community of Dallas and its surrounding suburbs.  As the story unfolds, Unfinished Lives will continue to monitor police reports and the media to ensure this terrible crime does not disappear from the community’s sight.

 

December 4, 2012 - Posted by | anti-LGBT hate crime murder, Beatings and battery, gay men, GLBTQ, Hate Crimes, LGBTQ, MCC of Greater Dallas, Slashing attacks, stabbings, Texas, Unsolved LGBT Crimes | , , , , , , , , ,

1 Comment

  1. This was not a gay-related hate crime. The crime was perpetrated by a very evil, cold-hearted, & guiltless Sociopath/psychopath, Nathanael Gehrer, who didn’t receive the penalty he deserved due to the gross incompetence of the Carrollton, Texas Police. He got a plea deal of 40 years, with possible parole in 20, when he should have received the death penalty or at least life in prison with NO parole. He is basically in Club Fed for barbarically stabbing Dustin 16 times, and beating him with a baseball bat over 35 times, thus disfiguring his face beyond recognition.

    Comment by Tony Schmidt | October 16, 2014


Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.

« Previous | Next »

%d bloggers like this: