She found work acting in shemale videos and performing at the West Hollywood Club 7969 under the name of Sylvia Boots. She became known for her love of the work, and that it showed on camera. She acted in over 50 videos (see ES.Wikipedia for a list), and as she had facial cosmetic surgery several times, she looks different over the course of her films.
She generally got on well with her fellow actors, with one exception, fellow performer Tanya Amadore. After being attacked by three of Tanya's friends outside a nightclub, Amara filed a criminal complaint with the police. In August 2002, Amara dated Jorge Espinoza without knowing that he was Tanya's boyfriend. After sex he brutally beat her and stole her car. Again she filed a police complaint. Three weeks later Jorge returned and shot her in the head. Miraculously Amara survived and still has the bullet in her head. She filed a third police complaint and was unofficially advised to carry a gun for self-defense.
On March 17, 2003 Amara and Tanya encountered each other in the ladies room at the Yukon Mining Co restaurant. Insults, hair pulling and punches started and were continued in the parking lot, and friends of both women joined in. It escalated to the point where Amara pulled out her gun. Tanya tried to take it away from her. It went off and Tanya's hand was seared with gunpowder burns. A few minutes later it was apparent that one of Tanya's friends, Laura Banuelos, was dying of a gun wound. Amara was arrested.
In jail she was able to positively identify Jorge Espinoza to the police for his attempt on her life.
Amara herself was charged with Murder in the first degree, Murder in the second degree, Voluntary Manslaughter, Involuntary Manslaughter and an Armed Allegation charge. Tanya was not charged. After 14 months in jail, Amara's trial lasted one week, the defense rested after one day, Tanya "unequivocally testified" that she did not touch the trigger and that she had not encouraged Jorge Espinoza to shoot Amara. The jury returned after five hours finding Amara guilty of second degree murder. She was convicted under the California law of transfer of intent that was intended to apply to a sniper situation.
58 people wrote letters and signed a petition urging the judge to reduce the sentence to Involuntary Manslaughter, but Amara was sentenced to 20 years to life for Second Degree Murder and an additional 25 years to life under the anti-sniping law, and that she has to pay $10,000 restitution to Laura's family if ever released on parole.
In January 2006 it was rumored that Tanya died after an incompetent injection of oil/silicone. Some think that this was a hoax to enable Tanya to escape police attention. In either case her video career was over.
An appeal of Amara's sentence in October 2007 was denied.
Amara was initially at Donovan State Prison in San Diego, and is currently in the California Medical Facility prison at Vacaville.
* Not Jorge Espinoza the Chilean football player, nor the boxer.
- "P. v. Vadillo". FearNotLaw, 10/12/07. www.fearnotlaw.com/articles/article15106.html.
- Chubby Chucker. "Re: Sylvia Boots". Tgirl Forums, 12-27-2005. http://tgirlforums.com/yabbse/showthread.php?t=26274.
- John Green "Sylvia Boots". Tribe. http://tribes.tribe.net/shemalelovers/thread/20e6d06b-ef8d-4d6c-b4ec-089fa0bb8896 also at other sites.
Neither Amara Vadillo nor Sylvia Boots is in IMDB nor the Wikipedia Category: Transsexual pornographic film actors.
45 years plus is longer than many mafia contract killers get.
The requirement to pay $10,000 is what in Sharia law is a called blood money, except that under Sharia, if you pay the money, you don’t go to jail.
The US gun lobby groups that proclaim that you should carry a gun to protect yourself don’t seem to be interested in this case.
Amara is mainly a female name, but sometimes given to boys. It is unclear whether Vadillo was called Amara at birth, at emigration or later. However she was charged under that name, so the California prosecution service took that to be her legal name.
The Wikibin article does not even mention the homicide.
Amara and Tanya put down each other and others as 'faggots'. An indication of their lack of self-consciousness.
I believe that Sylvia Boots' case did not receive the proper discovery and its presentation as it should have; The previous incidents and the bullet lodged in her head should have been admitted as evidence of her being bullied and threatened prior to fatal confrontation. Anyone could see that as self-defense, and I wonder why didn't the presiding Judge saw it that way?
ReplyDeleteI was incarcerated with sylvia at vacaville. Honestly she wasnt what i expected her to be. Initially i prejudged her to be a sexdriven raunchy person however, I got to know her and i grew to admire her calm and sphisticated demeanor. I learned alot from ber actually.
DeleteAgreed - any news if there are still efforts to help her? I sent a message to an email address that I found online for her "Defense Team" but it bounced back.
ReplyDeleteJustic for a victim as a nra ts self defence is always a hard case for any person to prove but is not inpossable if slivia boots can prove that the other party when to seek her out with intent to do harm to her in any way possable including bulling she would have to have the ones who was bulling her testify on a lydetectore if thay actuly did intend to seek her out in that manner silvia boots must as for a retrial preferrably a fedral retrial do to the fact of the last trial p.s have a lawer from a foundation for gay and lesbian activitist represent u so I hope the best for silvia boots iam a big fan thank u
ReplyDeleteIask for retrial must have a fedral retrial check nra laws as well I as a person am so tired of laws that are raill roading inocent people like slivia boot to jail like it or hate it look through thr fact before trying a inocent person so I say get it right or go home
ReplyDeleteLegally speaking when you have the opportunity to leave a hostile situation (which she obviously had when she retrieved the gun from the car), but instead introduce a weapon into the situation, self defense is no longer a viable defense. She very irresponsibly escalated the situation and caused a persons death through those actions and she deserves to do time for it just as anyone else would. Obviously she got screwed big time on sentencing and the application of the anti-sniping law, which doesn't look like it should apply in her case if you read the statute.
ReplyDeleteHowever if that's the case I don't see how she could be denied an appeal, but not knowing all the facts of the case it could be legit.
Was she at fault ? absolutely, regardless of past issues with those people she had the opportunity to avoid further confrontation that evening and made the poor choice not to. Pretty cut and dried case based on that alone.
I beg to differ on your analysis of a situation that you most definitely know nothing about. When someone shoots you in the head and you survive and then are told by police to keep a gun incase the same person that shoots you comes back, and then THAT PERSON DOES COME BACK - well then I think that the fault "absolutely" - as you put it - falls very proportionately on two parties.
DeleteSay what you will about Ms. Boots- It's undeniable that her sexually explosive work rescued many so-called "straight" men from a lifetime of boring sex with ho-hum women and turned them on to her exciting gay lifestyle.
ReplyDeleteA straight man who adds fantasies of sex with a shemale is still straight. Unless you use 'gay' in its 1970s usage as of an umbrella term (ie as LGBT is used now) then it is the wrong word to use.
ReplyDeleteI was Amara's friend and neighbor back in the late 90's. Does anyone know how I might contact her/write to her?
ReplyDeleteI would appreciate any help. Thank you.
She’s great I jus left Vacaville state prison she’s there she’s goin home soon
DeleteI also would like to know if there ongoing efforts to help her. email address in that regard? any contact info available for her and/ or defense team?
ReplyDeleteI actually do know how to get a hold of Sylvia. My husband is incarcerated at the same facility and they are friends. I never knew her story, the families of incarcerated people rarey ask about the crimes of others so I never cared to ask. I am heavily involved in advocacy against mass incarceration, and specfically amplifying the marganalized voices on the other side of the wall. Now that I know Sylvias story I would love to try to get her some help. If anyone personally knows any info on the story, please contact me alesha.monteiro@just advocate.net. You can also contact me if you're trying to get a hold of her.
ReplyDeleteThx
Alesha
Sylvia Boots and I were lovers until she was jailed. We met when I was in my early twenties and wow what an amazing person she was. She was always so brave with exactly who she was, which was admirable. She would encourage me to not worry about what others thought, when we walked down the street together. It took me awhile but I'm finally there and I have no problems walking down the street with a CD, Tranny, Shemale, Cross Dresser, Transexual etc. Why should I, I love them.
ReplyDeleteWhen I heard that Sylvia was charged with murder I couldn't believe it. I had been seeing trans for many many years. From Barcelona to Paris to NYC to Los Angeles, by the time I was 25 I had been with many trans & I knew all too well the scandalous behavior that went with the scene. But Sylvia was different. She was always so gentle with me (except in bed) & she was an animal just the way we want it, but I digress. She was always so friendly, tolerant, chills, smiley but very protective of me. She wouldn't let certain girls date me, warned them not to mess with me and was just so amazing. One of the last time I saw her was at the Seven-11 near Highland & Santa Monica. She rolls up in this amazing first of the kind white SUV escalade. I was blown away. She steps out, the beautiful queen that she was and she looked like a movie star. She had so much class. None of the other girls could touch her. I was always very private and didn't get involved with anything other than pleasure in the scene and when I saw drama I would just bounce and not tolerate it so I was pretty oblivious to the drama that she had going on but she also wouldn't let me get involved to once again protect me.
If anyone can let her know that I would like to get in touch with her, that would be great. Bundagoods@yahoo.com.
Thank You!
I have been recently keeping up with this story (casetext.com/case/people-v-vadillo 9). She waived her right in 2023 to a parole hearing to qualify for the California Elderly Release Program. which requires you to be over the age of 50 and have served 20 years of your sentence. Sorry to say, August 30, 2024, 20 years after she entered prison, she was denied parole and now must serve 5 more years and be over the age of 60, she is now 58. If her sentence had been only 2nd degree murder, her prison sentence would be fulfilled but because she brought a weapon (22 caliber pistol) to the fight, under the California Anti-Sniping Law another 25 year were added for a total of 45 years sentence. This was a trans on trans crime and the person she was fighting has passed. Unfortunately, the bullet fired during the struggle for the gun hit the victim in the head, probably the only place other than the heart where it would have killed her. Go to (pps.cdcr.ca.gov/ciris/details?cdcrNumber=V49531) and type in Vadillo, Amaro to get the parole denial details.
ReplyDelete