San Francisco Sex Worker Guilty of Manslaughter for Shooting Client Who Wanted Refund

A California sex worker was found guilty of manslaughter after fatally shooting a client who had sought a refund from her.

Leniyah Butler, 21, shot Hamza Walupupu, 32, in the eye when he demanded a refund after Butler performed a sexual act on him in San Francisco’s Presidio district in November 2023, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the North District of California.

Butler allegedly shot Walupupu after he became angry when she revealed that she was transgender, according to court documents obtained by SFGATE, the San Francisco Standard and the San Francisco Chronicle.

Butler told police Walupupu drove her 20 minutes away from where they met and she felt like she was taken “out of her element,” being so far from where she was picked up, according to the court documents.

“Say that I apologize to anyone I hurt, but my life was in danger, and I felt like I had to defend myself in that moment or it would have been me,” Butler said, according to the court documents. “I don’t think I should say sorry to nobody because…I don’t feel sorry for smoking him.”

According to authorities, Butler then stole Walupupu’s car and tried to wipe away any lingering fingerprints and DNA. She then spent the rest of that morning “scattering” the evidence, including the murder weapon. 

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In a recorded conversation with her mother, Butler said that Walupupu deserved to be killed, according to the court documents. 

Butler is still in custody and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 27, 2025. She could face a 17 year sentence and $250,000 fine, the U.S. Attorney’s office said in their news release.