Via the Plain Dealer's Rachel Dissell, the murderer of Cemia "Ce Ce" Dove was sentenced to life in prison today with a possibility of parole after 20 years.
Dove was the transgender woman found submerged in a North Oldmsted pond in April. She was killed in January by Andrey Bridges, a jury ruled today, who stabbed her 40 times before disposing of the body near his home.
During trial, Bridges professed his innocence, claiming that another man — a witness for the defense — was the true murderer and Bridges only helped clean up. He claimed he was afraid to speak the truth because the other man had threatened his children.
The jury did not convict Bridges of aggravated murder. It was a crime of passion, committed during felonious assault.
Cemia Dove, born Carl Acoff, was 20 years old at the time of her death. The Plain Dealer's coverage immediately after her body was found sparked conversations about transgender people in the media.
