Texas Escort Murdered: Killer Ezekiel Gilbert Set Free After Murdering Escort Who Refused Him Sex
Meet Ezekiel Gilbert. Hi, Ezekiel.
Ezekiel is a lonely man. Doesn't he look sad? He's so lonely he decided to hire a prostitute to come to his house to make him less lonely, at least for a little while. Unfortunately for Ezekiel, he hired an escort. Poor Ezekiel. He's not very smart.
Let me explain:
A prostitute is someone you can pay for sexual favors. Merriam-Webster online defines (to) prostitute as:
(1): to offer indiscriminately for sexual intercourse especially for money; (2): to devote to corrupt or unworthy purposes
I kinda agree with the first definition; money does normally trade hands. I definitely disagree with the second one. I have no value judgements for sex workers. I say handle your business. I'm no one's judge. Neither are you.
An escort, on the other hand, is (again, according to Merriam-Webster), a
(1) : a person or group of persons accompanying another to give protection or as a courtesy (2): the man who goes on a date with a woman.
Mr. Gilbert didn't realize that by hiring an escort, he was not in a position to offer money in exchange for sex. He was merely in the position of being escorted by a woman for the evening (however long his cash paid for).
MySanAntonio reports that 23-year-old Craiglist escort Lenora Ivie Frago "died about seven months after she was shot in the neck and paralyzed on Christmas Eve 2009," by Gilbert, age 30. Poor Gilbert, in addition to not being very smart, also has a sever anger issue and hatred for women who won't have sex with him.
More violence against women? Will this murderous maniac be convicted of his crimes? Will the untimely, violent, and demeaning death of the young Lenora be avenged?
NO. It's Texas, people.
Map Highlighting Bexar County: From Google
Ezekiel Gilbert was acquitted of the charges. Let us block quote from MySanAntonio because our brain hurts and our heart is sad.
"The verdict came after almost eleven hours of deliberations that stretched over two days.
During closing arguments Tuesday, Gilbert's defense team conceded the shooting did occur but said the intent wasn't to kill. Gilbert's actions were justified, they argued, because he was trying to retrieve stolen property: the $150 he paid Frago. It became theft when she refused to have sex with him or give the money back, they said."
It became theft when she refused to have sex with him (because she's not a prostitute), even though she had spent time with him, which is what she was paid to do (because she's an escort), so he murdered her. Yes. That's what happened.
Here's Gilbert, on the night of his murderous sexcapade, less sad, more mad (probably cause he got caught). Good thing he was able to grow out his hard and learn to make a pouty face. Texas juries love that shit.
The good folks over at Slate are equally perplexed and simply suggest reading the blunt facts. Figuring out the logic and moral compass of the people of Bexar County jury is not a task anyone is up to for the moment.
While the prosecution argued that the Texas law that protects people who shoot other people in cases of robbery don't apply to people who think they got robbed by a prostitute, especially when paying for sex is also illegal, the jury said, "meh, whatever ... " and added another notch to our national tally of women dying at the hands of men and getting away with it.
In other awesome Texas news, prostitute rehab is a thing. If they volunteer, I'm on board. If Texas starts rounding people up and shipping them to rehab, I'm against it. Texas, what the serious f**k?
As a man, as a brother to seven, as a son to one, as a friend to many, as a heart and brain and soul, and as a human, I'm sickened at yet another woman's lost life.
Wanna talk male violence and patriarchy? Hit me on Twitter: @JohnathenDD
Go, Bexar! Remember the Alamo? No, Remember Lenora.
