We hate reporting shit like this and we apologize for the bummer, but 19-year old Kevin Pravia was found dead in his Chelsea, New York, apartment this weekend. The Pace University honor student, whose gayness our sources have confirmed, had a plastic bag over his head. Police haven't ruled out suicide. We have another hypothesis: tricky murder. [NYDN]

Brandon McInerney's defense team's busy laying the groundwork for their client's potential murder trial.

McInerney, you'll recall, stands accused of shooting 15-year old Lawrence King to death last February. His lawyers yesterday won access to King's personal records, which they hope will shed light on the "context" of the killing, which many say was motivated by King's crush on McInerney.

The records in question are expected to disclose information on King's behavior during the time he was living at Casa Pacifica, a center for troubled and abused children located near Camarillo, and attending Green School.

[Attorney William Quest] told the judge that he wanted unedited records, including the names of students, so he can talk "to other people," including students, about the case.
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"As I said before, Brandon is not a sociopath. This is not some crazy kid," the attorney said, adding that this shooting was unlike others that have occurred in schools across the nation.

Quest said there was "a lot of stuff going on" before the shooting.

"There were warnings of trouble," he said. "What I am trying to establish, given the mandatory harsh sentencing that goes with trying a 14-year-old as an adult, is explaining what was going on. How this tragedy happened, not trying to minimize it or take anything away from the tragedy. But at least, provide it in the context which we think would provide a partial defense on behalf of Brandon."

Let's hope this doesn't turn into a "blame the victim" side show…

Could there be some homophobic nepotism going down in Louisiana? Twenty-year old Louis Church has admitted to killing 56-year old gay teacher Weston "Tony" Verrette, who had taken the homeless man in and hoped to help him get on his feet. Church, however, had other ideas and stabbed Verrette to death. He later told police he panicked after Verrette made sexual advances. But, despite the gay aspect of the case, Church won't be facing hate crime charges, but second degree murder. His stepfather's a retired cop. [NOLA]

Slain gay teen Lawrence King's parents are making it hard to be sympathetic.

The family filed a lawsuit last week against the 15-year old's school district for "failing to enforce a dress code, which allegedly spurred Brandon McInerney to shoot King in the head last February:

The parents and brother of 15-year-old Larry King filed a personal injury claim against the Hueneme school district seeking unspecified damages.
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The claim, filed last week in Ventura County Superior Court, says administrators and teachers failed to enforce the school's dress code when King wore feminine clothing and makeup to school.

At the time of his death, King lived in a nearby youth shelter. He had been removed from his parents' home six months before, but no details have been released on what exactly went down. It seems to us the parents may not be angels in all of this.

Besides, is there a dress code saying boys can't wear makeup?

"The trial of the five men accused of the hate crime murder of former [South African] soccer player Eudy Simelane has been postponed for the fourth time… The trial was postponed until September 1 by Judge Betty Lesufi at the Springs Magistrate's Court to give the state more time to compile its case against the men who have remained in custody… It is believed that she was targeted because she was a lesbian." [Mamba]

A British man who stabbed his lover to death is playing the alcoholic card. Gary Bowes' lawyers claim their client didn't know what he was doing when his plunged the knife into Paul Taylor. Prosecutors say, however, that one doesn't stab another without, at the very least, trying to hurt them. Agreed. [NW Evening Mail]

Nineteen-year old Cesar Israel Villazano goes on trial today in the 2007 shooting death of Oscar Mosqueda, who was dressed as a woman outside a gay bar. Villazano claims he shot Mosqueda because he flirted with him, according to police. Club goers, however, say that seems unlikely, since the event was very clear queer and Villazano should have anticipated advances. The trial is expected to last a week. [News-Journal]

"Unemployed Mark Malone, 29 from Walton, pleaded not guilty to the murder of 50-year-old Peter Jeffrey Akers at the Old Bailey today. On February 19 this year Mr Akers, who was known as Jeff, was attacked in the public toilets in Walton Lane, just off Walton Bridge, which is a well-known gay cruising area." [Epsom Guardian]

Citing rising crime rates, gay activists in South Africa are protesting plans to offer bail to the alleged killers of lesbian soccer player Eudy Simelane (pictured). Said members of the End Hate campaign: "[We are particularly] angered that lesbian and bisexual women living in townships and rural communities are victims of curative rape, homophobia and sexual abuse by heterosexual men who exert power over the vulnerable." [Mamba]

The ongoing drama surrounding Lawrence King's February murder took another twist yesterday.

California Judge postponed the arraignment of 14-year old Brandon McInerney, who's accused of shooting fifteen year old King, who had a crush on the boy. The arraignment was meant to take place yesterday, but will now occur on June 12.

In the meantime, journalist Karen Ocamb had a chat with District Attorney Maeve Fox, who discussed the limited possibility of a plea bargain, why McInerney represents a very adult threat and, yes, took on the defense team's claim that the school is to blame for King's murder…

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Some gays can just go so bad. Take, for example, inaugural Mr. Gay UK Anthony Morley, who's accused of murdering and possibly eating 33-year old Damian Oldfield (pictured), whose body police discovered in Morley's house last week. And it wasn't a pretty picture:

When police discovered the body of Damian Oldfield, 33, at a terraced house in Harehills, Leeds, they are said to have found part of his right leg had been carved up and the flesh diced and cooked on a kitchen worktop. It is thought tests showed the flesh was human.

A police source told a newspaper: "It appears it was being prepared for cooking."

Coppers were reportedly tipped off when Morley - who won the gay award back in 1993 - went down to his local shop, covered in blood, wearing slippers and a white night gown.

This wild scenario would be B-movie amusing if it weren't so fucking distressing, scary and downright revolting. And, sadly, real.

Harlow Cuadra and Joseph Kerekes just found themselves more trouble.

The former porn stars are currently awaiting trial for the January, 2007 murder of producer Bryan Kocis, who prosecutors say the men killed over a business dispute.

Now, as they languish in jail, Kocis' family has filed a civil suit against the dastardly duo and are seeking financial damages…

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Gay activists are scratching their heads over prosecutorial findings in a Newark triple murder. Thomas McTigue, assistant prosecutor for Essex County, New Jersey, says he and his team have found no evidence of hate crime in the 2007 shooting of three college students.

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The debate over who's to blame for Lawrence King's death continues to rage two months after his murder.

For those of you living under a rock, 15-year old King died in February after a 14-year old classmate, Brandon McInerney, shot him in the head. King had reportedly asked McInerney to be his Valentine, which many say spurred the violent outburst. Thus, many claim that King only invited the explosive retaliation. Journalist Neil Broverman once mulled that theory, while a Mississippi State University student took it one step further: "King… may have gone too far by imposing his sexuality on others." A pretty distasteful conclusion - and one that will no doubt be getting heavy play during McInerney's murder trial…

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A number of gay groups are banding together to fight for Brandon McInerney, the 14-year old who shot teenaged homo Lawrence King to death. While prosecutors want to try McInerney as an adult, activists are pushing for a juvenile consideration. "We are saddened and outraged by the murder of junior high school student Lawrence King… At the same time, we call on prosecutors not to compound this tragedy with another wrong. We call on them to treat the suspect as a juvenile, not as an adult." [365 Gay]