Man Sentenced In Skid Row Killing Of Transgender Partner
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — The man found guilty of his transgender partner's shooting death on Skid Row has been sentenced to 50 years in prison for his crime.
Daniel Molayem was found guilty of first-degree murder in November for shooting his partner of 15 years Kourtney Yochum, 32.
Witnesses said that on March 23, 2016, Molayem, 41, walked up to Yochum near Fifth and San Pedro streets in Downtown Los Angeles, fatally shooting her in the head.
Yochum's friend Megan Lacy Wren addressed Molayem in court, telling him, "When the coroner called me to verify she had been killed, I already knew you were the one who did it as she would express her fear of you killing her," City News reported.
Wren said Yochum, born Allen Walter Raymond Yochum, Jr., had "this incredible smile that could light up a whole galaxy" and "this laugh that had the ability to pull you out of the darkest of moments."
Shortly after the shooting, an officer with the LAPD said the deadly altercation might have been caused by a domestic dispute, the L.A. Times reported at the time.
Molayem was also found guilty of assault with a firearm and use of a handgun.
In November, the Human Rights Campaign issued a report stating 25 transgender persons had been killed in the United States this year. It's a trend that has LGBTQ advocates asking for more protections for the trans community.
November 20 is Transgender Day of Remembrance.
