Marine convicted of drowning Filipino transgender woman in toilet

U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Joseph Scott Pemberton, left, arrives for the verdict of his court case for the killing of Filipino transgender Jennifer Laude, at Olongapo city, Zambales province, northwest of Manila, Philippines on Tuesday Dec. 1, 2015. A Philippine court on Tuesday convicted Pemberton of killing a Filipino last year in a hotel after he discovered she was a transgender woman. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

A U.S. Marine was convicted of homicide Tuesday for strangling a Filipino transgender woman and drowning her in a toilet.

U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Joseph Scott Pemberton was found guilty of strangling Jennifer Laude and dunking her head in a toilet bowl in a hotel after discovering she was a transgender woman. He was sentenced to six to 12 years in prison.

Laude’s mother criticized the sentence as not long enough. She had hoped Pemberton would be found guilty of murder, a more serious crime that carries a stiffer sentence than homicide.

“This is not complete justice but we have to recognize that there is victory here,” an attorney for the Laude family said.

Pemberton and Laude went to a hotel in October 2014. Pemberton testified he choked Laude but did not kill her. He said he left the hotel and she was still alive.

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