Nireah Johnson
Encyclopedia
Nireah Johnson was an African American
transgender woman
, murdered in Indianapolis, Indiana
by Paul Moore, after Moore discovered Johnson was not a cisgender
woman.
Moore reportedly said he was attracted to Johnson, and believed Johnson was a cisgender
female. Moore later told police that Johnson kissed him on the cheek when they parted, and they agreed to meet later. He denied meeting Johnson at a later date.
Moore later entered Ward's room with a Ruger .45 caliber handgun
and asked to speak with Ward. The two men went into the kitchen, where Moore asked if Ward knew whether Johnson was male or female. The two men went into the living room, where Moore asked Johnson and Coleman whether Johnson was male or female.
When Johnson went to use the bathroom, after forty minutes of discussion, Moore followed and discovered Johnson was a trans woman
. Moore became upset, and then asked Ward to get some wire. They used the wire to bind Coleman's and Johnson's hands behind their backs. Moore put Johnson and Coleman in the back seat of their vehicle, and told Ward to follow him.
Moore drove to a wooded area in Fall Creek Corridor Park in Indianapolis
. Ward made a U-turn after which Moore entered Ward's vehicle. Moore then dismantled the handgun and threw the pieces out of the window. The men then returned to Moore's home.
That afternoon, Moore called Ward to suggest they set fire to the vehicle they had left Johnson and Coleman in. Ward spoke to Moore's brother, Charles McGee, who had seen Johnson's and Coleman's bodies in the vehicle. McGee and Ward returned to the park that night with a can of gasoline and burned the vehicle containing Johnson's and Coleman's bodies.
s, though they had not yet determined whether the victims has been murdered.
On July 24, the Marion County, Indiana
coroner's office released Johnson's and Coleman's names as homicide victims. The coroner's report said that each had been shot in the forehead before the fire started. Investigators determined that gasoline had been poured into the back seat and ignited. Authorities were alerted when Coleman's mother, Mary Coleman recognized the vehicle in news reports, from the FedEx
plate on the front. Mary Coleman, who worked at FedEx
, called a television station, and the station then contacted the police.
tests revealed that the .45 caliber
bullets removed from the victims matched a gun taken from Moore during a disturbance in 2002. Moore was charged with murder, confinement, and arson.
Ward was arrested, and charged with confinement, arson, and assisting a criminal. Clarence McGee was arrested as well.
On May 5, 2004 judge Robert Altice gave Moore combined sentences of 120 year for the murders of Johnson and Coleman. Moore received consecutive 55 year sentences for the murder of Johnson and Coleman, and concurrent ten year sentences for each count of confinement and arson.
McGee was sentenced to 10 years in prison for being an accomplice.
Moore's conviction and sentence were upheld on appeal in May 2005.
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
transgender woman
Trans woman
A trans woman is a male-to-female transsexual or transgender person and the term trans woman is preferred by some individuals over various medical terms. Other non-medical terms include t-girl, tg-girl and ts-girl...
, murdered in Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
by Paul Moore, after Moore discovered Johnson was not a cisgender
Cisgender
Cisgender is an adjective used in the context of gender issues and counselling to refer to a class of gender identities formed by a match between an individual's gender identity and the behavior or role considered appropriate for one's sex.Kristen Schilt and Laurel Westbrook defined "cisgender"...
woman.
Background
On June 18, 2003 Nireah Johnson, 17, and friend Brandie Coleman, 18, were riding around with another friend. The trio saw Paul Moore riding in a car driven by Curtis Ward, and asked them to pull into a gas station parking lot. Johnson and Moore got out of their vehicles, talked briefly and exchanged numbers.Moore reportedly said he was attracted to Johnson, and believed Johnson was a cisgender
Cisgender
Cisgender is an adjective used in the context of gender issues and counselling to refer to a class of gender identities formed by a match between an individual's gender identity and the behavior or role considered appropriate for one's sex.Kristen Schilt and Laurel Westbrook defined "cisgender"...
female. Moore later told police that Johnson kissed him on the cheek when they parted, and they agreed to meet later. He denied meeting Johnson at a later date.
Murder
According to court documents, at 12:51 a.m. on July 23, Coleman called Moore's home to speak with Ward. Coleman and Johnson then drove to Moore's apartment. The four talked outside and then went into the apartment. Ward and Coleman went into Ward's room, while Moore and Johnson went into Moore's room.Moore later entered Ward's room with a Ruger .45 caliber handgun
Handgun
A handgun is a firearm designed to be held and operated by one hand. This characteristic differentiates handguns as a general class of firearms from long guns such as rifles and shotguns ....
and asked to speak with Ward. The two men went into the kitchen, where Moore asked if Ward knew whether Johnson was male or female. The two men went into the living room, where Moore asked Johnson and Coleman whether Johnson was male or female.
When Johnson went to use the bathroom, after forty minutes of discussion, Moore followed and discovered Johnson was a trans woman
Trans woman
A trans woman is a male-to-female transsexual or transgender person and the term trans woman is preferred by some individuals over various medical terms. Other non-medical terms include t-girl, tg-girl and ts-girl...
. Moore became upset, and then asked Ward to get some wire. They used the wire to bind Coleman's and Johnson's hands behind their backs. Moore put Johnson and Coleman in the back seat of their vehicle, and told Ward to follow him.
Moore drove to a wooded area in Fall Creek Corridor Park in Indianapolis
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
. Ward made a U-turn after which Moore entered Ward's vehicle. Moore then dismantled the handgun and threw the pieces out of the window. The men then returned to Moore's home.
That afternoon, Moore called Ward to suggest they set fire to the vehicle they had left Johnson and Coleman in. Ward spoke to Moore's brother, Charles McGee, who had seen Johnson's and Coleman's bodies in the vehicle. McGee and Ward returned to the park that night with a can of gasoline and burned the vehicle containing Johnson's and Coleman's bodies.
Discovery
Johnson's and Coleman's bodies were found later, on the night of July 23, when firefighters were alerted to a burning vehicle. They were found lying on the back seat of the Jeep. Their bodies were burned beyond recognition, and investigators were unable to determine the race or gender of either victim. Police treated the deaths as homicideHomicide
Homicide refers to the act of a human killing another human. Murder, for example, is a type of homicide. It can also describe a person who has committed such an act, though this use is rare in modern English...
s, though they had not yet determined whether the victims has been murdered.
On July 24, the Marion County, Indiana
Marion County, Indiana
Marion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. Census 2010 recorded a population of 903,393, making it the largest county in the state and 55th most populated county in the country, greater than the population of six states. The county seat is Indianapolis, the state capital and...
coroner's office released Johnson's and Coleman's names as homicide victims. The coroner's report said that each had been shot in the forehead before the fire started. Investigators determined that gasoline had been poured into the back seat and ignited. Authorities were alerted when Coleman's mother, Mary Coleman recognized the vehicle in news reports, from the FedEx
FedEx
FedEx Corporation , originally known as FDX Corporation, is a logistics services company, based in the United States with headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee...
plate on the front. Mary Coleman, who worked at FedEx
FedEx
FedEx Corporation , originally known as FDX Corporation, is a logistics services company, based in the United States with headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee...
, called a television station, and the station then contacted the police.
Arrests
Paul Moore was arrested on Thursday, July 31, 2003, after Adrian Beverly identified him as the passenger she had seen in Ward's car on July 18, with Johnson and Coleman. Police were also led to Moore when ballisticsBallistics
Ballistics is the science of mechanics that deals with the flight, behavior, and effects of projectiles, especially bullets, gravity bombs, rockets, or the like; the science or art of designing and accelerating projectiles so as to achieve a desired performance.A ballistic body is a body which is...
tests revealed that the .45 caliber
.45 ACP
The .45 ACP , also known as the .45 Auto by C.I.P., is a cartridge designed by John Browning in 1904, for use in his prototype Colt semi-automatic .45 pistol and eventually the M1911 pistol adopted by the United States Army in 1911.-Design and history:The U.S...
bullets removed from the victims matched a gun taken from Moore during a disturbance in 2002. Moore was charged with murder, confinement, and arson.
Ward was arrested, and charged with confinement, arson, and assisting a criminal. Clarence McGee was arrested as well.
Trial
Moore and McGee went to trial in April 2004. Ward testified against Moore and McGee in exchange for lesser charges. The jury found both men guilty. Moore was convicted on two counts of murder, criminal confinement, and arson. McGee was convicted of arson, assisting a criminal, and obstruction of justice.On May 5, 2004 judge Robert Altice gave Moore combined sentences of 120 year for the murders of Johnson and Coleman. Moore received consecutive 55 year sentences for the murder of Johnson and Coleman, and concurrent ten year sentences for each count of confinement and arson.
McGee was sentenced to 10 years in prison for being an accomplice.
Moore's conviction and sentence were upheld on appeal in May 2005.