What did Amber McLaughlin do? First transgender woman executed in the US over 2003 stabbing incident

On Tuesday, January 3, 2023, the United States executed the first openly transgender woman, Amber McLaughlin, after the inmate was sentenced to death for stalking and fatally stabbing her ex-girlfriend.

Amber McLaughlin, 49, a death row inmate at the Missouri Department of Corrections, was administered a lethal injection on Tuesday night, sixteen years after she was convicted of first-degree murder in 2006 in the killing of Beverly Guenther.

McLaughlin, who dated Guenther before her transition, reportedly assaulted the victim before stabbing her and dumping her body near the Mississippi River in St. Louis in 2003.

In 2006, a Missouri judge sentenced McLaughlin to death after a jury deadlocked in the sentencing. Unlike other states in the country, Missouri law states that a judge can sentence a suspect when the jury is unable to reach a unanimous decision on the punishment.

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Amber McLaughlin was convicted of killing her ex-girlfriend in 2003

Amber McLaughlin was pronounced dead at 6.51 pm on January 3, 2023, at the Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center in Bonne Terre after the Missouri state executed the first transgender woman for killing her ex-girlfriend in 2003.

McLaughlin, who began transitioning in 2019, reportedly dated Beverly Guenther before the victim obtained a restraining order against the inmate for repeatedly stalking her at her workplace. McLaughlin’s legal name is listed as Scott McLaughlin in court documents.

Authorities said that on November 20, 2003, McLaughlin reportedly r***d and stabbed Guenther and dumped her body near the Mississippi River in St. Louis. McLaughlin led law enforcement to the dump site after the victim’s neighbors alerted the police when she failed to return home.

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Amber McLaughlin's lawyers appealed for clemency which was denied by the governor

McLaughlin’s lawyers reportedly filed an appeal for clemency, arguing that their client was a victim of systematic abuse during her childhood, which creates grounds for mitigating factors in the crime.

The appeal stated that McLaughlin was subjected to abuse by her foster parents. They also mentioned that their client suffered from depression brought on by gender dysmorphia. Missouri Gov. Mike Parson denied clemency and said:

“McLaughlin is a violent criminal. Ms Guenther’s family and loved ones deserve peace. The State of Missouri will carry out McLaughlin’s sentence according to the Court’s order and deliver justice.”

As per CBS, McLaughlin, in her final statement, expressed remorse for the crime. Jessica Hicklin, a fellow inmate and friend who advocated for hormone therapy for inmates in 2018, described McLaughlin as a shy individual who became verbose and confident after she began to transition. She added:

“Definitely a vulnerable person. Definitely afraid of being assaulted or victimized, which is more common for trans folks in the Department of Corrections.”

McLaughlin is the first inmate to be executed in the United States this year and the 18th woman to be killed on death row since 1976 after the US Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty.