A four-day trial for the 2019 murder of a transgender woman named Dime Doe ended on Friday (Feb. 23) with the nation’s first ever hate crime conviction based on gender identity. A South Carolina jury found Daqua Lameek Ritter guilty of committing a hate crime, use of a firearm in connection with the fatal shooting and obstruction of justice.

“This case stands as a testament to our committed effort to fight violence that is targeted against those who may identify as a member of the opposite sex, for their sexual orientation or for any other protected characteristics," U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina Brook Andrews told the media, according to NPR.

Ritter faces a maximum of life in prison without parole, but his sentence is forthcoming. The case is the first of its kind to be tried in federal court, though others have been prosecuted without reaching a trial. State prosecutors argued that the convicted man shot Doe three times with a .22 caliber gun out of fear that their secret romance would be exposed. Two hours before the tragedy, the 24-year-old trans woman was pulled over for a traffic citation with Ritter in the car in rural Allendale, South Carolina.

Ritter also had a girlfriend, Delasia Green, whom he had told that Doe was a cousin. Green testified that she found texts between the two discussing “getting a room” and confronted him about the true nature of their relationship. Enraged, he shut down attempts at her questioning his sexuality. Other text messages leading up to the killing revealed that he attempted to dispel rumors of his involvement with Doe.

Close friends of the slain South Carolina trans woman shared with authorities that Doe referred to the New York native as her man. Additional testimony was heard from Yanna Albany, Doe’s cousin, who was initially romantically involved with Ritter. She claimed that after learning her cousin was also seeing the young man, she ended their dalliance. Ritter allegedly threatened to beat the trans woman for “lying on him” and expressed his rage with the use of a homophobic slur.

In the days after Doe’s passing, witnesses testified that Ritter burned the contents of a book bag in a fire and was behaving uncharacteristically. Upon returning to New York, he continued to keep up with the case, which included communicating with a friend named Xavier Pinckney. Pickney has also been charged with obstructing justice, as prosecutors allege he misled investigators with statements in the case.