Transgender man killed in Nebraska On this day, Dec. 31, in 1993, Brandon Teena, a 21-year-old woman who lived as a man, was murdered in Nebraska. The story was the subject of the Academy Award-winning 1999 movie “Boys Don’t Cry.” During a Christmas Eve party, two ex-convicts, John Lotter and Marvin Nissen, forced Teena to remove his pants to prove to Teena’s girlfriend that Teena was a girl. The men then took Teena away and raped him.
After Teena reported the rape, Lotter and Nissen tracked him down at a house several days later and shot and killed Teena, along with Lisa Lambert and Phillip DeVine, in front of Lambert’s toddler. Nissen was sentenced to life in prison. Lottery was sentenced to the death penalty and awaits his execution.
Hilary Swank won an Academy Award for best actress for her role as Teena.
Scott McCabe
