HIV-Positive Man Charged With Murdering Girlfriend

A judge in Toledo, Ohio set bond at $1.5 million for an HIV-positive man who was indicted last week in the death of 51-year old Kimberly Klempner, after he allegedly failed to disclose his HIV status. 

Ronald Murdock and Klempner were having affair despite him being married to his wife, who, according the Associated Press, knew of his HIV status and disclosed the information to Klempner after she found out of the affair. 

It’s unclear whether Murdock was on antiretrovirals or if he was undetectable, which makes it impossible to transmit the virus to others. However, according to Klempner’s son Josh, “AIDS” was listed as his mother’s cause of death. 

“By the time she found out and by the time everything was said and done, it was way too late,” Klempner said to AP about his mom. “She would have done anything for that man. And for him not to come out in the beginning and tell her what was going on was not right.” 

HIV criminalization laws have been in place since the height of the AIDS crisis. Draconian and stigmatizing by their very nature, they make it criminal to even talk about sex with someone who’s HIV-negative when you are positive. Even if you are undetectable and haven’t had sex with your partner, you can be put in prison. 

Read more about HIV Criminalization laws here.

Most of the evil measures were enacted before antiretroviral therapies significantly reduced the rising death rate of HIV-positive people and suppressing the virus to such low levels that made it impossible to transmit.

Still, despite the scientific facts and incredible breakthroughs, HIV is still considered a crime in the a large group of states.