Transgender prostitute convicted for killing man who demanded refund after gender reveal

Hamza Walupupu’s encounter with a prostitute in San Francisco turned deadly after learning he was really with a biological man.

Now the trans prostitute is facing prison time for his murder.

Walupupu, 32, picked up what he thought was a female prostitute named Leniyah Butler in San Francisco’s Tenderloin District, the New York Post reports, in November 2023.

After agreeing on a price, they went to a park where he asked Butler to do “everything,” but things quickly went wrong. After Butler, 21, performed a sex act, Walupupu found out Butler’s transgender identity, the Post reported.

Walupupu demanded a refund and a fight ensued, during which Butler pulled a gun and shot him in the eye.

Butler, whose given first name is Leion, then dragged Walupupu’s body to the parking lot of Crissy Park, stole his Hyundai Accent and called a relative for help, according to court documents.

One week after police found the abandoned car, FBI agents raided Butler’s apartment. The killer jumped from a second-floor window in an attempt to flee but was found in a neighbor’s garage.

This week, Butler was convicted of voluntary manslaughter after being acquitted by a jury of second-degree murder.

Sentencing is scheduled for June 27. Butler faces up to 15 years in prison.

“We extend our sincere condolences to the victim’s family, whose son and brother was taken from them prematurely, and hope today’s verdict brings some measure of justice,” said acting U.S. Attorney Patrick D. Robbins.