A 20-year-old sex worker named Leion Butler is facing second-degree murder charges in the death of 32-year-old Hamza Walupupu, the shooting victim discovered in a parking lot near Crissy Field on November 12 — but the case has taken a new twist.
Butler had been arrested and charged on November 22 in connection with the homicide in an Exelsior home, after surveillance footage of the federal recreation area linked the two, per Mission Local. (The crime is under federal jurisdiction, because the body was found in the federally owned Presidio, although it remains unclear where the actual murder may have taken place.)
But more details have emerged about the motive: Butler, a sex worker, alleges she shot Walupupu in self-defense amid a dispute after he discovered she was transgender and demanded a refund, per the Chronicle.
According to court documents filed in U.S. District Court, the incident reportedly unfolded on a November night when Butler agreed to a "date" with "everything" with Walupupu, who insisted on taking her to Crissy Field, where Butler was uncomfortable. The encounter apparently took a dark turn after Butler disclosed her transgender identity following oral sex, prompting Walupupu to demand a refund. Butler reportedly stood her ground, refusing to return the money, but tensions escalated when he tried to kick her out of his car. Federal prosecutors allege that Butler killed Walupupu because he refused to give her a ride back to the spot she had been originally picked up, and she “did not want to walk home in the cold.”
As described in the complaint, in the argument, Walupupu then attempted to exit the vehicle, but Butler retrieved a gun from her purse and shot him.
The complaint also alleges she then abandoned the body near Crissy Field and fled to Kiska Road in Hunters Point, where she sought assistance from her mother, who helped her wipe down the car, dispose of Walupupu's belongings. She reportedly gave the murder weapon to an unidentified third party, claiming, "there's a body on it."
The FBI later executed a search warrant at Butler's residence on Nov. 20, leading to her arrest. The prosecution argues in its filing that Butler, with a "violent criminal record," poses a danger to the community and is a flight risk. The complaint highlights a previous incident in June when Butler allegedly sprayed bear mace at a crowded Pride event, later resisting arrest by assaulting an officer.
An attorney for Butler had previously complained in court that despite her identifying as female, she was being housed at San Francisco County Jail in an all-male facility, per SF Public Safety.
Feature image of Crissy Field via Presidio.gov.
