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December 1, 2015

Philippines: U.S. Marine Convicted of Killing Transgender Filipina Woman 
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In the Philippines, a court has found a U.S. Marine guilty of killing a
transgender woman and has sentenced him to six to 12 years in jail. U.S.
Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton was convicted for the 2014 murder of
26-year-old Jennifer Laude, who was found dead in a hotel room near a
former U.S. naval base that still frequently hosts U.S. ships. Pemberton
had been charged with murder, but he was convicted of the lesser offense
of homicide. The case has strained relations between the U.S. and the
Philippines, with some Filipino lawmakers calling for changes to the
rules permitting US military forces in the country, which is a former
U.S. colony. Pemberton will be temporarily held in a Filipino prison
until the Philippines and U.S. government agree on where he should serve
his sentence.