D.C. middle school principal Brian Betts was the third gay man in the Washington area who was targeted for a robbery and killed in recent months.
A third 18-year-old accused of shooting Betts to death in his Silver Spring home was charged Tuesday with murder, armed robbery and conspiracy. Deontra Gray’s two accused accomplices, Alante Saunders and Sharif “Reef” Lancaster, were charged Monday with murder, armed robbery and use of a handgun in a violent crime. All three were held without bail Tuesday.
Montgomery County police said the teenagers accused of killing the 42-year-old Shaw Middle School at Garnet-Patterson principal in his Silver Spring home meant to only rob Betts after meeting him on a gay sex Internet chat line.
But on the night of April 14, Betts joined a growing list of Washington-area gay men who have been killed after being lured into robberies when they expected sex.
District police say 29-year-old Anthony Perkins was shot and killed in Southeast Washington after meeting his alleged killer on a gay telephone chat line, the Washington Blade has reported. Perkins’ accused killer reportedly bragged that he shot Perkins in the head, and then stole a pack of Newport cigarettes from his car.
On Jan. 10, gay Maryland resident Gordon Rivers was shot and killed in Southeast after a 17-year-old allegedly invited Rivers to meet him near the teen’s house, the Washington Blade has also reported. Police have described the murder as a botched robbery.
“Despite Washington’s reputation as gay friendly, these things do happen,” Washington Blade Editor Kevin Naff told the Washington Examiner. “It remains a problem, and it’s difficult to know the true numbers because many of these people are in the closet.”
Police said in court documents that Saunders’ fingerprints were found inside Betts’ stolen sport utility vehicle and Lancaster’s inside Betts’ bedroom. The two were also spotted on surveillance cameras using Betts’ stolen credit card two hours after he was killed. Police said Gray has admitted to being at Betts’ house on the night of the slaying.
Naff said it’s unfortunate that most media outlets have not reported on Betts’ sexuality.
“Gay men have been tarred for years,” he said. “That’s why sexual orientation should be part of the [Betts] story. Here’s this national figure in education reform who’s also openly gay.”
