Victim was allegedly called a pedophile by his attackers as they beat him to death
A woman in Tampa has been charged with second degree murder in the brutal killing of an openly gay man. According to a report in the Tampa Bay Times, Jadian Sinead Zeiders (26) claims the that the victim, William Denham Jr (53) trespassed on her lawn and masturbated in front of her.
As justification for the beat down and killing, she says she instructed two other men to attack Denham out of self-defense, but says she never participated in the beat down herself.
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Mr. Denham was a social worker and had a partner of 30-years.
The killing happened back in January. According to the report obtained by the Tampa Bay Times, police began questioning Zieders on January 17, several days after Denham was found lying beaten and unconscious on the sidewalk.
He later was pronounced dead at an area hospital. An autopsy found he died of blunt trauma to the face and body.
The victim’s sister has spoken out and is strongly saying Zieders’s claims are outlandish.
“He never would have attacked anyone,” said Maureen Tourigian, one of Denham's three sisters. “Anyone who knows him knows that, and that he never would expose himself to a woman. He wasn't interested.”
More from the Tampa Bay Times:
“A witness at the scene told investigators he saw two men and a woman beating Denham in the street and kicking him after he fell down. The witness told investigators that one of the men said something about the man being a “pedophile.”
The two men who may have been involved in the murder were not named by the newspaper because they have not officially been linked to the case. Tampa homicide detectives, however, have identified who they are and are apparently doing due diligence.
Dan Kane, Mr. Denham's partner, told the local paper that Zeiders fabricated the story to protect her and her accomplices.
He also said he suspects the group tried to rob Mr. Denham and then beat him up after discovering he only had a few dollars in his pocket.
“Kane has had to pass by the intersection with the knowledge that Denham's killers are probably still in the area. He called Zeiders' arrest “a start” and hopes two more will come soon.
“I don't think they need the death penalty, but they do need to be in prison for a long time to think about what they did,” Kane said. “They're a danger to the community and need to be off the street.”
