Transgender prostitute found guilty of killing man who allegedly asked for refund after discovering sex worker was trans

An alleged transgender sex worker was found guilty of shooting a California man in the eye, which killed him. The victim was fatally shot after asking for a refund for the sex act following the discovery that the prostitute was transgender.

On Monday, 21-year-old Leion Butler — aka Leniyah Butler — was acquitted of second-degree murder but convicted of voluntary manslaughter in federal court. The case was tried in federal court because the location of the shooting, the Presidio of San Francisco, is federal land.

'I don’t feel sorry for smoking him.'

Butler, of San Francisco, was found guilty in the shooting death of 32-year-old Hamza Walupupu, which took place in the Crissy Field East Beach area on Nov. 12, 2023.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California said in a statement that Butler killed the man "after performing a sex act on the victim."

"According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Butler shot the victim once in the eye after he asked for a refund and asked Butler to get out of the car," the statement read.

SFist reported, "The shooting happened after Walupupu picked up Butler in an area known as 'the Blade,' at Post and Polk streets in the Tenderloin, and drove her to the parking lots near Crissy Field — where, Butler told police, she felt 'out of her element.' After asking for 'more' following oral sex, Butler reportedly told Walupupu she was trans, and he became upset and demanded his money back, telling her to get out of his car."

Defense attorneys argued that "the Blade" in the Tenderloin is known for transgender sex workers.

A physical confrontation allegedly occurred after Butler refused to exit the vehicle.

The defense claimed Butler was acting in self-defense in the deadly shooting.

However, recorded jail phone conversations reveal that Butler was seemingly pleased with the deadly outcome of the shooting, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

When an unnamed person suggested that Butler apologize for the fatal shooting, Butler reportedly replied, "Say that I apologize to anyone I hurt, but my life was in danger, and I felt like I had to defend myself in that moment or it would have been me. I don’t think I should say sorry to nobody because … I don’t feel sorry for smoking him."

In another recorded conversation with Butler's mother, Butler allegedly said, "I don’t feel like I’m in the wrong. I just feel like, girl, he got what he deserved.”

According to the Bay Area Reporter, Butler's defense attorney David Rizk argued that shooter's race and sexuality played a part in the investigation.

“This FBI, this federal government, didn’t even bother to look,” Rizk said. “They [law enforcement] would not believe her because of who she is: because she’s a young, black, trans sex worker, and sadly because of what he did to Ms. Butler, because of what he put her through and what he said to her and what he did to her.”

Walupupu was left for dead in the parking lot.

Butler allegedly stole the victim's vehicle, drove it to the Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood on the east side of San Francisco, and abandoned the car there after attempting to wipe it down and dispose of the murder weapon.

Prosecutors said surveillance video linked Butler to the crime.

Butler's sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 27. If convicted, Butler faces a maximum prison sentence of 15 years and a fine of up to $250,000.

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