Subject: ANOTHER TRANSEXUAL MURDERED IN BOSTON
From: Riki Anne Wilchins <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 27 Nov 1995 13:09:43 -0500

ANOTHER TRANSEXUAL MURDERED IN BOSTON  
  
Contact: Nancy Nangeroni / 617-497-6928 / [email-masked].  
 
[BOSTON, MA - November 21] 
Following all too closely on the May 15 strangulation-stabbing of Deborah
Forte in Haverill, MA, another Boston-area transexual has been murdered. 
Chanel (aka Roman) Pickett, 23, was strangled to death in nearby Watertown,
MA early on the morning of Monday, November 20.  Arrested in the case was
William C. Palmer, 34, a manager of computer programming for Unisys in
Somerville.  Chanel was found dead in Palmer's room at about 1 p.m. Monday,
roughly 8 hours after the murder occurred.  Palmer's attorney had called
the police to turn him in.   
  
Palmer was a reputed admirer of pro-op transexuals who frequented one of
Boston's two TS pick-up bars, the Playland.  On Sunday evening, November
19, Palmer drove Chanel and her twin transexual sister Gabrielle to their
Chelsea apartment, staying for about 90 minutes to drink, and snort cocaine
he had purchased near the Playland.  Palmer apparently attempted to
persuade the twins to participate in a three-way tryst.  Only Chanel packed
an overnight bag and went home with him.  According to Gabrielle, Chanel
did not regard Palmer as a trick, but as a potential relationship partner. 

Palmer's roommates stated he and Pickett spent 5 hours in Palmer's room,
during which an argument broke out. The roommates knocked on the door, but
were assured everything was all right. Shortly thereafter, the conflict
escalated and Pickett was strangled to death.   
 
Despite admitting his guilt, Palmer entered a "Not Guilty" plea in Waltham
District Court on Wednesday. basing his his defense on grounds he was
unaware Picket was "a he", and that this discovery led directly to his
strangling her.  Buttressing Palmer's claim of ignorance, his defense
attorney Walter B. Prince was quoted in the Boston Globe as branding
"absurd" allegations Palmer dated transexuals, or knew Pickett had male
genitals, saying, "We have it on pretty solid ground that any accusations
of that nature are certainly false and out of character for a gentleman who
has lived the normal upstanding life that he has.  He has worked every day
of his life since high school and has deep roots in the community."  Prince
was further quoted in the Boston Herald as stating, "clearly [there] was a
horrendous fight that occurred, and my client [Palmer] received multiple
bruises and bites from this assailant."  Prince apparently did not address
whether bruises Palmer suffered might have been incurred as the victim
struggled for her life. 
 
Palmer's assertion of ignorance was refuted by patrons of the Playland Cafe
in the strongest possible terms, including Gabrielle Pickett, the dead
girl's sister.  Typical of comments were those of one transvestite patron,
who declared, "He had approached me one time.  He asked me if I had real
breasts, and I said no because I'm not a pre-op.  That's when he seemed to
lose interest."  Another patron, 30-year old transexual Toyaer Shearrion,
who had dated Palmer 4 times stated, "He knew what he was doing.  He loves
them."   
 
Prosecuting Assistant DA Thomas O'Reilly reputedly accepted Palmer's pleas
of initial ignorance of Chanel's gender.  However, according to newspaper
accounts at the Friday bail hearing, ADA O'Reilly quoted Palmer as
declaring to the dead woman just hours before he strangled her, "You're the
best-looking pre-op transsexual I've ever seen."   
 
Chanel Pickett had been fired by Nynex last February, after defending
herself against a co-worker's harassment of her gender.  Currently, there
is no legal recourse for transsexual persons who are fired from their jobs
for reason of their gender, and honest transgender folks are rarely hired. 
Chanel turned to sex work to save money for surgery and medical needs.  It
is fair to ask if Chanel would be alive today had Nynex supported her
instead of joining with the worker who harassed her and firing her.  The
Employment Non-Discrimination Act will (when amended as planned) provide
legal recourse in situations such as this, securing for transgender folks
the right to work without harassment for their gender.  Unfortunately the
bill is not yet law.   
 
In the words of Toyaer Shearrion, Chanel was "a beautiful person.  She was
always there for you if you needed something."  As with Brandon Teena, the
Transexual Menace and friends will hold a Memorial Vigil on the opening day
of the murder trial.  
[END]