Watch the First Trailer for Investigation Discovery’s Upcoming True Crime Docuseries, Love & Hate Crime

Josh Vallum being sworn in before pleading guilty to the murder of Mercedes Williamson. (John Fitzhugh/The Sun Herald via AP)

“I have to live with the fact that I killed Mercedes, and she’s in hell.”

Deadline recently reported that Investigation Discovery has released the first teaser trailer and premiere date for their upcoming show Love & Hate Crime—a true crime docuseries that will explore crimes of hate and prejudice in the US. The trailer shows an incarcerated Josh Vallum expressing the crushing guilt he lives with on a constant basis for his role in the 2015 murder of Mercedes Williamson.

Mercedes was a 17-year-old transgender female. Josh Vallum had ties to the Latin Kings street gang in Mississippi. However, the Latin Kings are strict in their hatred for homosexual behavior—the punishment: death. So to protect his reputation and prevent gang retaliation, Vallum drove Williamson to a secluded area, stabbed her repeatedly, and bashed her head in with a hammer.

Vallum pleaded guilty to avoid trial and was sentenced to life in prison. In addition, he was prosecuted under the US Hate Crimes Prevention Act, his case becoming the first successful transgender hate-crime prosecution ever.

Investigation Discovery has the full story and more in Episode 1 of Love & Hate Crime, premiering Sunday, February 5th!

Watch a clip from an interview with Josh Vallum featured in Episode 1 of Love & Hate Crime!