Five Navy Warships Held In Philippine Port for Filipino Transgender Murder Investigation

Filipino transgender advocates call apparent killing a 'hate crime'
Navy ships being held in Philippine port as death investigation continues
Stars and Stripes
Seth Robson
October 14, 2014

Five Navy warships are being held in port in the Philippines while police investigate the killing of a Filipino transgender at Subic Bay.

The State Department said in an email Tuesday that a Marine, assigned to 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines, out of Camp Lejeune, N.C., is a suspect in the death of Jeffrey Laude, also known as Jennifer.

Laude, 26, was last seen entering the Celzone Lodge in Olongapo City with a short-haired male foreigner, aged 25-30, around 10:55 p.m. on Saturday. Later, Laude’s naked body, partially covered with a blanket, was found in a bathroom at the hotel.

A State Department spokesperson said the suspect is being held onboard the USS Peleliu while the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and Philippine National Police investigate.

The Peleliu, USS Germantown, USNS Sacagawea, USNS Washington Chambers and the JHSV WestPac Express are staying in the Philippines, Marine Corps Forces Pacific spokesman Col. Brad Bartelt said.
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