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 Set Ablaze & Murdered Martin Thomas Hartman Pleads Not Guilty at Arraignment Human Rights Campaign Keeps an Eye on Court Maneuvers |
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Compiled By GayToday Human Rights Campaign
Santa Barbara, California-- Martin Thomas Hartman was arraigned here yesterday
for setting ablaze and murdering 37-year-old Clint Scott Risetter on February 24.
Risetter's painful demise was indisputably an anti-gay hate crime, according to a
police investigator.
During his arraignment, Hartman pleaded not guilty for allegedly pouring gasoline over Risetter and setting him on fire while he slept because Risetter was gay. The Human Rights Campaign continues to closely monitor the case. Hartman told police that he'd met the victim approximately six months prior to the murder and had only recently discovered that Risetter was gay. "[Hartman] first said he did it because the victim was unhappy and depressed so he didn't need to be around in the world," said Police Sgt. Mike McGrew, the lead investigator on the case. "He also said he killed him because he was gay, and he has a lot of hatred toward gay people." "This horrendous crime is a scary reminder that some people are so hate-filled that they believe they have the right to take another person's life based solely on someone's sexual orientation," said HRC National Field Director Seth Kilbourn. "HRC is deeply saddened for Risetter and his family and we will closely monitor the case to make sure justice is served." "Our community has been shaken by this heinous and brutal crime. But we must not let hatred and revenge blind us," said Janet Stanley, Executive Director, Pacific Pride Foundation.
California includes sexual orientation in its hate crimes law, along with 26 other states and the District of Columbia. Five states have no hate crimes laws, and 18 states with hate crimes laws don't include sexual orientation. |
