Dana Rivers, a prominent transgender activist, received a life sentence on Wednesday for the heinous murder of a lesbian couple and their son in 2016.
Having gained national recognition in 1999 for successfully suing the Center Unified School District in Sacramento, Rivers won a $150,000 settlement after being wrongfully terminated for discussing gender transition with students. However, Rivers’ recent actions shocked the nation as he attacked two sleeping women, aged 56 and 57, shooting them and their 19-year-old son. Following the shootings, one of the women endured a staggering 47 stab wounds, while Rivers proceeded to set their garage on fire.
During the court hearing on Wednesday, Judge Scott Patton made a strong statement regarding the gravity of the crime committed by Dana Rivers. He said, “This is the most depraved crime I ever handled in the criminal justice system in 33 years. Frankly, you deserve to spend the rest of your life in prison,” as reported by Mercury News.
Rivers was apprehended on November 11, 2016, the same day as the brutal murders, while covered in blood as he exited the victims’ residence, according to Mercury News.
In addition to his activism, Rivers had been involved in campaigns pressuring women’s only events to include male participants. One notable instance was his participation in a pressure campaign against the Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival (MichFest). The objective was to compel the festival, which maintained a policy of only admitting “womyn-born-womyn,” to admit Rivers, who is transgender, according to Reduxx.
According to Mercury News, Rivers, a biological male who identifies as a transgender woman, had initially formed a friendship with one of the female victims through an all-women motorcycle club. However, their relationship deteriorated when the woman decided to leave the club. Rivers later re-established contact with the intention of committing the triple murder.
During the trial, Rivers put forth claims of self-defense and subsequently insanity, as reported by Mercury News.
More details about the heinous crime and subsequent arrest and trial from The Gateway Pundit:
On November 11, 2016, police responded to a distress call reporting gunshots fired outside the home of Charlotte Reed and Patricia Wright in Oakland, California. When authorities arrived, they discovered a scene of unimaginable horror. The bodies of Reed, Wright, and their son, Benny Diambu-Wright, were found inside the burning wreckage of their home. The victims had been subjected to a frenzied attack involving stabbing, bludgeoning, and gunshot wounds.
As police arrived at the scene, they encountered Dana Rivers attempting to flee on a black Harley Davidson motorcycle, covered in blood and gasoline, Los Angeles Times reported.
A search of Rivers’ person and the motorcycle led to the discovery of incriminating evidence, including a bloody knife and a screwdriver. Rivers was promptly arrested and taken into custody.
During the arrest, Rivers made spontaneous statements confessing to the murders, although later pleading not guilty to the charges of triple homicide. The motive behind the crime was revealed to be a mix of personal animus and anger towards Reed for leaving an all-female biker gang.
The trial of Dana Rivers began on October 31, 2022. Prosecutors presented overwhelming evidence of Rivers’ guilt, including DNA, witness testimonies, and the confession made during the arrest. Despite Rivers’ attempts to argue self-defense and later insanity, the jury found her guilty of the murders in November of the following year.
