Murder of transgender teen who was stabbed in genitals 'not a hate crime', police say

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Police have said the case of a murdered transgender teenager was not a hate crime, despite the fact she was stabbed in the genitals and had her body burned.

Ally Lee Steinfeld, 17, was allegedly attacked by her girlfriend and two teenagers in an assault in Cabool, Texas Country, Missouri which left her with her eyes gouged out, court records said.

Steinfeld, who was born as Joseph Matthew Steinfeld, had been missing for a month before investigators found her charred remains in a bag dumped in a chicken coop.

It came weeks after a post on social media site Instagram where she described herself as "mtf", or male-to-female, later adding: “I am proud to be me I am proud to be trans.”

But the authorities insisted Steinfeld’s murder was not motivated by her sexuality or gender.

Prosecutor Parke Stevens Jr told news agency AP: "I would say murder in the first-degree is all that matters. That is a hate crime in itself."

Human Rights Campaign spokesman Chris Sgro dismissed Mr Stevens Jr's stance, and said Steinfeld was the 21st transgender person to be killed this year in the US.

He told AP: "This violence, often motivated by hatred, must come to an end. We will continue to mourn Ally and fight back against transphobia and anti-trans violence."

Steinfeld’s remains were found near the mobile home where she had been living with Briana Calderas, 24, before she went missing.

Calderas, along with Andrew Vrba, 18, and Isis Schauer, 18, were charged with first-degree murder and other counts over Steinfeld’s death. They face life in prison.

Calderas and Schauer said they burned Steinfeld’s remains but said Vrba had repeatedly stabbed Steinfeld, gouged her eyes out and bragged about the killing, according to court records.

All three had been living together in a mobile home before the attack in the living room of the residence.

James Grigsby, 25, was charged with abandonment of a corpse and tampering with evidence.

All four suspects are being held in custody pending a trial.