In what appears to be Santa Clara County’s first guilty verdict in a transgender domestic homicide case, a 25-year-old Union City man was convicted of killing then-24-year-old Natalia Smüt Lopez of San Jose.  

The April 2021 stabbing murder of South Bay drag performer Natalia Smüt, who also went by Natalia Smüt Lopez, rocked the San Jose area drag community, and the 24-year-old transgender Afro-Rican performer was quickly honored with a mural to her memory at the Splash Video Dance Bar in San Jose. According to an in memoriam from the Human Rights Campaign, “Natalia was a celebrated drag artist in the San Jose LGBTQ community with local community members describing her as a ‘motivating and creative spirit’ with ‘captivating performances’ and a ‘love for advocacy within the community.’”

And on Wednesday, 25-year-old Elijah Cruz Segura of Union City was found guilty of murdering Smüt, according to KPIX. Smüt and Segura had been dating for months at the time, and the Santa Clara County DA’s office says this is “believed to be the first prosecution of transgender domestic violence homicide in Santa Clara County.”

“Domestic violence of all kinds hides in the shadows of our community,” DA Jeff Rosen said in a statement. “We as a community will shine a light on it, fight against it, and work to help victims find empathy, safety, shelter, and justice.”

As the Bay Area News Group reported at the time, Segura called 911 the morning of April 21 to report that  Smüt had been stabbed at a Hillview Court apartment complex in Milpitas. Police found Smüt severely injured from stabbing wounds, and Segura was covered with blood. Smüt died at the hospital, and police immediately identified this as a suspected domestic violence case.  

Segura is scheduled to be sentenced sometime in January 2025. He faces a sentence of 16 years-to-life in prison.

Related: Queer Nightlife Personality Bubbles Fatally Shot On Tenderloin Street [SFist]

Image: natalia_smut via Instagram