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Content advisory: This article mentions murder. Please take care while reading.
In a shocking true-crime case that made headlines around the world, Brianna Ghey, a 16-year-old transgender girl, was brutally murdered in a knife attack in Feb. 2023 in northwest England. In Dec. 2023, two other teenagers, Girl X and Boy Y in the press, were convicted of the crime.
Girl X and Boy Y were arrested shortly after Ghey’s murder happened in broad daylight at a local park near where Ghey lived in Cheshire. After the attack, each one tried to behave as if nothing happened and at first denied their involvement. During the investigation, however, it was revealed they shared a fascination with murder and death and had picked Ghey from a list of possible targets. Both knew Ghey socially and were identified by eyewitnesses.
A written murder plan mentioning Ghey by name was also recovered, seen below.
Brianna Ghey motive
Ghey was transgender, raising the possibility her murder was motivated by transphobia, but Cheshire police quickly ruled that out. The Guardian says Girl X and Boy Y, both 16, exchanged WhatsApp messages for months before the murder, planning the attack either on Ghey or on one of four other teenagers on their list. Ghey’s gender identity was mentioned in those exchanges, but never directly referred to as a reason for killing her. Although not believed to have motivated the murder, transphobia may be considered at boy and girl X and Y’s sentencing.
The convicted murderer’s names, so far concealed because of their age, will be revealed at their sentencing, according to The Washington Post.
The Brianna Ghey verdict
After an 18-day trial and around 5 hours of deliberation, the jury in the Brianna Ghey case returned a guilty verdict, with their sentencing expected to be announced in Feb. 2024. According to the BBC, the judge in the case, Mrs. Justice Yip, told the teens in court a life sentence was forthcoming, and the only matter to decide was how long each would serve before they might become eligible for parole.
Boy Y and Girl X, who were 15 when Ghey’s murder happened, were either diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder or displayed signs of autism and ADHD, respectively. Boy Y was diagnosed with selective mutism in the past. Neither had a criminal record.
In a statement, Detective Inspector Nige Parr of the Cheshire police said, “Brianna did not deserve her fate. She was targeted because she was different and betrayed by someone she thought was a friend, and for her to have lost her life as a result of their senseless actions is tragic in every sense of the word.”
Parr added, “The impact of Brianna’s death was not only felt deeply amongst those who knew and loved her. It’s fair to say that her untimely passing has left many across the country — especially those from the LGBT community — overwhelmed with grief.”