08/08/2008
Killer of Gay Sacramento Man Gets 150 Days in Prison
In June I posted that a jury had deadlocked over hate crime charges in the murder of Fijian immigrant Satendar Singh near Sacramento over the 4th of July holiday in 2007.
Shevchenko and another suspect, 29-year-old Andrey Vusik of West Sacramento, reportedly attacked Singh, 25, while he was picnicking with friends after taunting him over his race and sexuality. Friends claim Singh's attackers made racial and homophobic remarks to Singh before assaulting him with what some claim were a pair of brass knuckles. Singh fell to the ground bleeding and died four days later in the hospital. [Background]
Shevchenko has been sentenced to 150 days in jail for the crimes. Talk about getting off easy. What a travesty.
Sphere: Related ContentPosted 11:44 AM EST by Andy in California, Crime, News, Sacramento | Permalink
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Andy: technically the headline is wrong, since Shevchenko was never charged with "killing" Singh -- THAT was done by Vusik, who has escaped to Russia or Ukraine.
If you read the original mistrial article, it says the following: "Shevchenko threw a bottle at members of Singh's party who were running after him after Singh was punched – an act of violence that occurred after a daylong dispute between two groups described in court as "the Fijians" and "the Russians.""
He was involved, but he wasn't "the killer."
Posted by: Kevinvt | Aug 8, 2008 12:06:03 PM
that is total insanity!
Posted by: Travis | Aug 8, 2008 12:54:52 PM
I understand the previous comments but shouldn't being
involved still required a punishment of more than 150 days???
I just don't get it.
Posted by: Will | Aug 8, 2008 1:01:58 PM
I understand the previous comments but shouldn't being
involved still required a punishment of more than 150 days???
I just don't get it.
Posted by: Will | Aug 8, 2008 1:03:15 PM
I thought involvement in a capital crime constituted being an accessory, and in this case an accessory to murder?
Posted by: Bob | Aug 8, 2008 1:18:59 PM
I agree that it's a travesty, but unfortunately, hardly out of the ordinary when it comes to this type of crime in the Sacramento area or the rest of the Central Valley.
Posted by: Frank L | Aug 8, 2008 2:10:52 PM
the killer is HOT
Posted by: Lil' tOmtOm | Aug 8, 2008 2:24:36 PM
What did you expect? Sadly the life of a gay man, especially one of color, is not worth much. Statistically, whites who murder people of color don't get light sentences for crimes against people of color versus the opposite.
Posted by: noah | Aug 8, 2008 2:35:19 PM
This outcome was so, so predictable.
The maximum sentence was only nine months. The judge said that the brown folks “purposely and designedly trying to irritate” the white folks with their faux-erotic-male-dancing (my words, not his). He also called the brown folks drinking and dancing “criminal conduct.” He used this ‘provocation’ as a mitigating factor to justify the light sentence.
He’s reported to have said that it was not a hate crime (the jury deadlocked) because both side acted provocatively? I guess it is only a hate crime if the victim cowers?
Posted by: Carly | Aug 8, 2008 2:53:13 PM
Regardless he was involved....so for those of you want to keep using OJ trial of 95....
Posted by: wopboptoorledo | Aug 8, 2008 3:48:12 PM
Outrageous and frightening. Our lives are cheap.
An etymological note: "travesty" literally means "cross-dressed," and has therefore been used to mean something like 'the ultimate outrage against truth and decency.' Hate runs deep in the language.
Posted by: Hank | Aug 8, 2008 3:48:30 PM
"Aleksandr Shevchenko" is Russian for "Dan White"
Posted by: FixItAgainTony | Aug 8, 2008 4:42:58 PM
According to the reports I've read, he did not kill Singh. There were two groups, and he was indeed in the same group as the one who DID kill Singh, but it looks like he threw the bottle when he was being chased by the other group.
And as I understand, it would be a hate crime if he had attacked them and thrown a bottle first. But the fight had escalated, and he threw the bottle WHILE RUNNING AWAY from a group.
Vusik is still the killer, not Shevchenko.
In other photos, btw, he looks quite ugly imho.
Posted by: Kevinvt | Aug 8, 2008 4:49:07 PM
Well, here's one experience that gay people (of all races) can share in common with other minorities in America: your life is not worth as much as a heterosexual white man.
Now, you can go the J. Edgar Hoover/Larry Craig/Ted Haggard route, but they'll still curse after your dead, and they find out you were a "fag".
The story of two different types of immigrants. Mr Singh came to this country not just to do something with his life, but give back to this country (most immigrants seem to feel that way). Look what he got in return--to experience the other type of immigrant.
Posted by: Derrick from Philly | Aug 8, 2008 4:56:28 PM
What is all the fuss about? Not only was the bottle-throwing not a hate crime, but neither was the killing, IMO. Hitting a homosexual in the head with a pair of brass knuckles after calling him faggot because he was erotic-dancing with another man? I for one fail to see how that's homophobic. You cannot say for sure that the hitting was motivated by hatred of gays. It's totally subjective. Just because he called him faggot doesn't mean he actually knew or believed that he was gay. And since when does erotic dancing with another man prove that you're gay? C'mon, you guys need to lighten up, you're so serious about every little thing, save your energy for the battles that really matter, don't waste time on petty shit like brass-knuckle killings.
Posted by: White Collar Boy | Aug 8, 2008 11:59:10 PM
Hey White Colllar Boy- "don't waste time on petty shit like brass-knuckle killings."
Are you kidding? It is this perspective that makes violence against minorities permissible. Clearly, you believe that the life of a gay man of color is somehow unworthy, less than human. Is the racism and homophobia so ingrained in your mind that you are blind to the reality of this situation?
This story too outrageous to "lighten up" as you so callously suggest.
Posted by: umm...you're crazy | Aug 9, 2008 11:30:54 AM