Miami

Miami-Dade Man Takes Plea Deal in Killing of Cross-Dressing Voodoo Priest

A man in Miami-Dade, Florida, accused of shooting and killing a cross-dressing voodoo priest will reportedly be spending 15 years behind bars as part of a plea deal.

Malherbe Francois, 23, agreed to the deal for a second-degree murder charge in the February 2013 killing of Beauglais Bazelais, the Miami Herald reported Wednesday.

Bazelais, 44, often dressed as a woman and had invited Francois, who was homeless, to live with him, according to a police report obtained by the Herald. Francois and Bazelais became lovers, the report said.

On the day of the shooting, Francois said he was going to leave the home they shared when Bazelais allegedly threatened him, the report said. Francois grabbed a pistol from a kitchen cabinet and Bazelais "began walking toward him with a white or yellow magic substance on his hands," the police report said.

Court records confirmed that Francois was convicted and sentenced for second-degree murder on Thursday.

Francois also claimed Bazelais had "magic" powder in a bottle, the Herald report said.

The report said Francois opened fire three times, killing Bazelais. He fled the scene and was later arrested.

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