Press

U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft today announced a federal grand jury indictment for the 1996 murder of two women in the Shenandoah National Park, stating that the victims were specifically selected because they were women and lesbians. The bodies of Julianne Williams, 24, and Lollie Winans, 26, were found June 1, 1996, at a secluded campsite in Shenandoah National Park with their wrists bound and throats slashed.

"After more than five years, we're relieved that progress has been made in the case. However, it serves as a sad reminder about the pervasiveness of hate violence against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people," said Lorri L. Jean, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

Prosecutors quoted Darrell David Rice as saying he "hates gays" and that the victims "deserved to die because they were lesbian whores." He has been linked to other crimes against women in the area. The Charlottesville, VA, grand jury indictment states that in each case the defendant intentionally selected the victim because of her "actual or perceived gender or sexual orientation." The federal hate crime indictment was made possible only because the murders occurred on federal land. This allowed the 1994 Hate Crimes Sentencing Enhancement Act, which applies only to federal crimes, to be used. The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act, currently pending in Congress, would make violent hate crimes federal offenses. Currently only 27 states and the District of Columbia have hate crimes laws that include sexual orientation.

"The pending Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act would ensure that hate crimes against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people – no matter where they occur – are investigated and prosecuted," continued Jean.

In 1996, NGLTF strongly urged then-Attorney General Janet Reno to order a complete investigation including the possibility of a hate crime because of the victims' sexual orientation. Reno responded to NGLTF and made clear the Justice Department's commitment to a full investigation.

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The mission of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force is to build the political power of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community from the ground up. We do this by training activists, organizing broad-based campaigns to defeat anti-LGBT referenda and advance pro-LGBT legislation, and by building the organizational capacity of our movement. Our Policy Institute, the movement’s premier think tank, provides research and policy analysis to support the struggle for complete equality and to counter right-wing lies. As part of a broader social justice movement, we work to create a nation that respects the diversity of human expression and identity and creates opportunity for all. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., we also have offices in New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis and Cambridge.