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he could wait for a ride at his apartment two blocks away from The Times Bar. A female friend and roommate of
Hostetler's said Lawrence called late Friday or early Saturday asking for a ride home from downtown, because he "didn't like the hospitality of the place," and needed a ride or he was going to "end up in jail". An investigator said he received a call from a man who had been asked to give Lawrence a ride home from a downtown club. Lawrence never showed up for the ride, and the man said he later heard from Hostetler that Lawrence had beaten up Gage.
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210:. As part of the plea agreement, Lawrence also waived his right to appeal the plea and the sentence, and to pay a $ 150,000 civil penalty to Gage's estate. After entering his plea, Lawrence added "I have nothing appropriate to say," and sat silent during his sentencing. Judge Bruce Zager sentenced Lawrence to 50 years, which was the mandatory punishment under Iowa law. Lawrence must serve at least 70 percent—35 years—of his sentence before he is eligible for parole.
87:, to be with his girlfriend—Elizabeth Hostetler—who was six months pregnant with their child. The couple—who had been together for a year—decided to move to Cedar Falls, because Hostetler had many "lifelong friends" in the area who could help with the baby. Hostetler said she introduced Gage and Lawrence about a week before Gage's murder. Hostetler had met Gage through an acquaintance and had known him for about two years.
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glass. Hostetler, Lawrence's fiancée, offered a motive when she said
Lawrence told her Gage had made sexual advances. Hostetler said that Lawrence had gay friends, hung out with gay people, and did not have "violent tendencies." She said that Gage must have made physical advances, the incident would never have happened had Lawrence not been drunk. "This was not a hate crime," Hostetler said.
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with a shard of glass. Hours later, 23-year-old Joseph
Lawrence of Cedar Falls was arrested and charged with Gage's murder. Police said Lawrence admitted he had fought with Gage, hit him with a bottle, and stabbed him in the neck with a piece of glass. An autopsy revealed that Gage died from severe head injuries. Gage's body lacked any
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reasons of race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, political affiliation, sex, sexual orientation, age, or disability. In trial information formally charging
Lawrence with murder, the prosecutor included a theory that Lawrence killed Gage while committing the crime of assault in violation of individual rights.
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At 11:00 p.m. on March 14, 2005, Gage's body was found in his bed when police entered his apartment, after friends expressed their concern that Gage did not show up at work on Monday and had not been seen for three days. Gage had been bludgeoned in the head with a bottle and stabbed in the neck
95:
Witnesses said Gage and
Lawrence were together the night Gage was killed. They were seen at Kings & Queens, the local gay club, before heading to an after hours party at The Times Bar. The two left at some point and headed back to Gage's apartment. According to Hostetler, Gage told Lawrence that
167:
protections to the city's human rights ordinance, permissible under Iowa state law. Waterloo Mayor Tim Hurley joined the commission in condemning Gage's murder, in a press conference outside the commission's offices, but said he had not formed an opinion on the addition of sexual orientation to the
78:
before being adopted at age 5. He moved with his adoptive parents to
Maryland, New Jersey, and then to Ohio. During his time in Ohio, he decided he no longer wanted to be adopted and moved back into foster care at age 16. From there, he moved to Phoenix, Arizona, and then on to New Mexico. In early
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Lawrence gave a videotaped statement at the
Waterloo police station after plain-clothes police officer went to the home he shared with Hostetler and asked him to come in for questioning. In a police affidavit, Lawrence acknowledged hitting Gage twice with a bottle and stabbing him with a piece of
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was attended by hundreds, and his funeral drew a crowd too large for the funeral home where it was held. Friends and community members started a scholarship in Gage's name, and sold T-shirts and buttons with his image to raise money. Three area churches took up collections for Gage. A benefit to
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does not have a law defining murder based on racial or sexual bias as hate crime. Murder, regardless of motive, is punishable by life in prison without parole. Another state law mentioned in
Lawrence's case, titled "violation of individual rights," prohibits assaults, vandalism and trespass for
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flashed "U need to call me soon." A phone conversation between Bailey and
Lawrence, in which Lawrence said "some guy" tried to "hit on him real bad" and described "a fight that got way out of hand," indicated that Lawrence may not have known Gage was dead.
70:
years earlier. He settled downtown, and worked waiting tables in the
Italian restaurant of his apartment building. He enrolled at the College of Hair Design in Waterloo, Iowa, in January 2003, and his friends said he dreamed of working in a big city salon.
53:
Jason Gage was last seen alive on March 11, 2005, socializing with friends in Waterloo's downtown bars. Sometime that night he went home to his apartment in the Russell-Lamson building. With him was 23-year-old Joseph Lawrence. Gage was originally from
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in the case of Jason Gage's murder. The plea allowed Lawrence to avoid admitting guilt while acknowledging that he would likely have been found guilty of Gage's murder had the case gone to trial. Originally charged with
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city's human rights ordinance. Gage's friends held candlelight vigils outside his apartment building, and his family and classmates held a memorial outside of the beauty school. His wake in
181:. About 20 Westboro members picketed six area churches and stood outside the convention center carrying signs and shouting that Gage was in hell. They were then joined by a second group,
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that would suggest he had warded off an attack. When police entered Gage's apartment, two glasses were out, suggesting that Gage and Lawrence had been drinking and watching television.
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raise money for the scholarship fund was held at the city convention center and attracted numerous attendees. It also attracted protesters from the
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Authorities have said Lawrence told a girlfriend that he assaulted Gage, who was openly gay, when Gage made sexual advances.
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Lawrence was born in Seaford, Delaware. He was removed from his birth parents after severe abuse and spent several years in
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Human Behavior and the Social Environment, Micro Level:Individuals and Families: Individuals and Families
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255:"Friends say killing resembles Shepard case: Openly gay man is found bludgeoned and stabbed to death".
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via his cell phone. "I just killed a guy I think," one read. A second sent to Michael Bailey in
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Gravelle, Steve. "Waterloo murder behind push for law". The Gazette. p. 2B.
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On December 16, 2005, as part of a plea agreement, Joseph Lawrence entered an
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In the early hours of March 12, phone records show Lawrence sent several
442:"Lawyers want Lawrence's statements thrown out of his murder trial"
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667:"Defense attorneys want statement thrown out in murder case".
337:""Friends: Slaying of Waterloo gay resembles Shepard case,"
466:"Iowa man's text message: 'I just killed a guy I think'",
282:"Iowa gay murder victim compared to Matthew Shepard"
413:"Suspect's girlfriend talks about possible motive"
822:"Man pleads not guilty in Waterloo man's death".
508:"Waterloo slaying victim died from head injuries"
41:and prompted a push for citywide laws protecting
738:"Murder prompts rights group to call for action"
641:Raffensperger Newhoff, Nancy (January 1, 2006).
626:: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (
587:: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (
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837:"Man pleads guilty in Waterloo beating death".
27:2005 murder of a gay man in Iowa, United States
609:. Archived from the original on April 16, 2005
570:. Archived from the original on April 16, 2005
343:. Archived from the original on March 30, 2006
949:Violence against gay men in the United States
377:"Ex-N.M. resident accused of killing gay man"
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686:"INFRINGEMENT OF INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS, §729.5"
533:"Police believe Oelwein man was murdered,"
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939:American victims of anti-LGBTQ hate crimes
768:. Oxford University Press. pp. 121–.
954:Violence against men in the United States
798:"Benefit goes on despite protest outside"
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603:""Jason Gage's Death Ruled a Homicide,"
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944:March 2005 crimes in the United States
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564:""Murder Investigation in Waterloo,"
548:"Cedar Falls man accused of murder".
83:, where he had been an oil worker to
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762:Wormer, Katherine van (2010-10-11).
852:Reinitz, Jeff (December 17, 2005).
482:"Accused killer sent text messages"
440:Reinitz, Jeff (November 17, 2005).
375:Auslander, Jason (March 22, 2005).
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894:2005 murders in the United States
712:"Fine print hints at hate crimes"
671:. November 20, 2005. p. 2B.
841:. December 17, 2005. p. 2B.
710:Reinitz, Jeff (March 31, 2005).
411:Reinitz, Jeff (March 16, 2005).
309:"Man killed, other man arrested"
307:Reinitz, Jeff (March 15, 2005).
183:Consuming Fire Campus Ministries
161:Waterloo Human Rights Commission
796:Stanton, Jim (April 11, 2005).
736:Kinney, Pat (March 27, 2005).
227:"Slaying likened to Shepard's"
163:asked the City Council to add
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552:. March 16, 2005. p. 2B.
259:. March 30, 2005. p. a6.
826:. April 6, 2005. p. 2B.
514:. March 17, 2005. p. 2B
159:Following Gage's death, the
142:Hate crime charge considered
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909:Deaths by stabbing in Iowa
79:2003, Lawrence moved from
18:Joseph Lawrence (murderer)
643:"Evelyn Miller tops 2005"
904:Deaths by person in Iowa
874:Jason Gage Memorial Page
854:"Man pleads to slaying"
175:Westboro Baptist Church
81:Farmington, New Mexico
919:LGBTQ history in Iowa
889:2005 in LGBTQ history
387:on September 30, 2007
133:Confession and motive
381:Santa Fe New Mexican
208:second degree murder
120:Discovery and arrest
204:first degree murder
193:Plea and sentencing
691:. 22 December 2017
165:sexual orientation
155:Community response
607:, March 16, 2005"
568:, March 15, 2005"
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341:, March 30, 2006"
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695:9 September
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512:The Gazette
486:The Courier
446:The Courier
417:The Courier
313:The Courier
199:Alford plea
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883:Categories
613:2007-08-01
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214:References
113:New Mexico
109:New Mexico
49:Background
31:Jason Gage
185:, led by
148:Iowa Code
64:Milwaukee
622:cite web
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68:Waterloo
45:people.
807:May 14,
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170:Oelwein
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91:Murder
689:(PDF)
809:2021
783:2012
770:ISBN
749:2021
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605:KWWL
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520:2012
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320:2021
294:2012
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