A gay photographer was brutally murdered in Twin Peaks. His killers have finally been convicted

After over seven years of delays and mistrials, the family of a gay photographer murdered in Twin Peaks are finally seeing justice.

Lamonte Mims and and Fantasy Decuir, both 27, were convicted Thursday in the 2017 killing of Ed French, 71. Decuir was found guilty of first-degree murder with special circumstances, second-degree robbery, and intentional use of a firearm causing death. Mims was found guilty of first-degree murder with special circumstances and intentional use of a firearm.

The pair initially intended to rob French of his new Canon Mark III camera the morning of July 16, 2017, when he was taking pictures of the sunrise in the San Francisco, California neighborhood, prosecutors said. Video evidence from the trial showed Decuir shooting French through the heart and lung as Decuir ripped his camera bag away then kicked him while he was on the ground.

The two attempted to sell the camera in town shortly afterwards. They were only apprehended nearly two weeks later when they were arrested for another robbery of a pair of tourists at gunpoint on July 28.

“The victim was ripped from the lives of his friends and family by this callous killing over a camera,” Assistant District Attorney Aaron Laycook said in a statement. “We are profoundly grateful for the jury’s thoughtful and deliberate consideration of the evidence in this case, and we hope their verdict brings some sense of justice and closure to the loved ones of the victim.”

Decuir and Mims were first tried in 2023, but a mistrial was declared after the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict. The defense claimed that Decuir, who has a sickle cell disease, was in a state of unconsciousness when she shot French due to "extreme pain" and "large amounts of opiates prescribed and administered to her to relieve her pain," attorneys told the Bay Area Reporter at the time.

Brian Higginbotham, French's partner, told the outlet that the outcome of the mistrial was "outrageous" after waiting nearly six years to bring the case to court.

"We waited five and a half years to get the first one [trial] going," he said. "It's mind-blowing. Use as many adjectives as you'd like. His sister is 84 and she's hoping she can see the end of this before she's gone. All the emphasis is on the killers, not the victims, and his family and friends."

Decuir and Mims are now custody awaiting sentencing, which has been scheduled for December 6. After their conviction, District Attorney Brooke Jenkins thanked both the juries and French's family for enduring the arduous process.

“The jury’s verdict holds Ms. Decuir and Mr. Mims accountable for the cold-blooded murder of an elder in our community doing what he loved to do the morning he was killed in 2017," she said. "I would like to thank the friends and family of the victim for their trust and faith in my office and the criminal justice system to deliver justice in this case. While this family had to wait far too long, I am relieved that the system was able to deliver justice to them.”