FL Man Charged With Hate Crime Murder Of Gay Man

The Tampa Bay Times reports:

Hillsborough County prosecutors charged a man with murder Friday, alleging that the fatal shooting of a gay man last month at the West Dog Park in Tampa was a hate crime.

Gerald Declan Radford faces a second-degree murder charge in the Feb. 2 death of John Walter Lay. Friends of both men told the Tampa Bay Times that Radford had been harassing Lay for months, hurling homophobic slurs and threatening him. Radford claimed the shooting was self-defense.

The office of Hillsborough State Attorney Suzy Lopez announced Friday that they plan to seek an enhanced sentence against Radford under the state’s hate crime statute.

Tampa’s Fox affiliate reports:

Investigators said they first came in contact with Radford after he called 911 about the shooting. He claimed he shot Lay in self-defense, and with no witnesses to the crime or evidence to prove otherwise, Radford wasn’t arrested.

Hillsborough State Attorney Suzy Lopez said her office is now preparing for Radford to attempt to use the “Stand Your Ground” defense. Lay’s sister, Sabrena Hughes, told FOX 13 that the shooting followed two years of harassment and homophobic slurs directed at her brother by Radford.

Authorities also found a video on Lay’s phone. The video was taken like a selfie of the victim as he detailed a threat that was made to him by Radford, according to deputies. Lay claimed in the video that Radford told him, “You’re going to die.”

Tampa’s ABC affiliate reports:

Colonel Frank Losat with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said the cell phone video on the victim’s phone and character witnesses provided evidence that the suspect did not act in self-defense. Lay had been complaining to his friends about harassment from Radford at West Dog Park for months.

“Some time prior to the shooting, we’re not positive on a timeframe at this point, the suspect and the victim have an altercation over the victim’s sexual orientation,” said Losat. Radford remains in the Hillsborough County Jail.

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