NASSAU, BAHAMAS — A man was sentenced to 18 years in prison for killing a gay man.

Justice Andrew Forbes sentenced Dermaine Sterling, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of 40-year-Jamal Russell.

The two men on Facebook, according to the prosecution believed that Russell was a woman.

Sterling went to Russell's home, where they drank and smoked marijuana. Russell allegedly came onto Sterling, who responded that Russell was "moving like a man."
This resulted in an altercation, and Sterling strangled Russell with a scarf.

After killing Russell, Sterling hid his body in a storage bin, removed the bedsheets, and burned them.

Police officers found his body in a bin near the window of his home on February 14, 2020. Sterling's lawyer, Brian Hanna, said that he was remorseful and redeemable.

Hanna argued that the sentence "ought to reflect society's disgust towards men who parade themselves as women." Russell's relatives told a probation officer that he was openly gay and occasionally wore women's clothing.

In sentencing, Justice Forbes noted that the crime was the result of senseless violence.

"It is this violence which should be rebuked and not someone's personal, legal lifestyle choices, even if you find it disagreeable. The life of Mr. Russell still had value even if it wasn't valued by some."

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