SANTA ANA – A man who admitted to strangling a transgender woman accidentally killed her during an intense sexual encounter before dumping her body in Anaheim in a state of fear, his attorney argued on Tuesday.

Randy Lee Parkerson, 40, faces a felony murder charge for the death of Zoraida Reyes, a 28-year-old transgender activist whose partially unclothed body was found at the edge of a dirt lot next to an Anaheim Dairy Queen in 2014.

Police used DNA found on Reyes to tie Parkerson to the death.

Parkerson’s encounter with Reyes came during a meth and sex binge that began when he lost his job, both the prosecutor and Parkerson’s attorney told the jury. Parkerson contacted Reyes online, setting up a meeting in Santa Ana where she lived and he would pay for sex.

“The furthest thing from Randy Parkerson’s mind was killing Zoraida Reyes,” Deputy Public Defender Sara Nakada told the jury. “What was on his mind was sex.”

Parkerson told authorities that as the encounter intensified, Reyes asked that he perform auto-erotic asphyxiation by intentionally choking her. Parkerson said that he stopped several times when Reyes made noises or touched his arm, at which point he said that Reyes told him, “No, keep going, I like it.”

Parkerson put her body into the trunk of his car, where he kept it for two days as he drove as far as Diamond Bar and Temecula to figure out where to leave her. He admitted pulling her body to the edge of the lot, leaving it half-hidden by some bushes.

Reyes’ death was a shock to the local transgender community, tapping into their fears of ridicule or violence. She had become an increasingly strong voice among groups advocating for the rights of transgender people and undocumented immigrants. More than 100 people gathered in Santa Ana after her death, remembering her as a shy but bold voice for LGBT rights.

The decision for jurors will be whether Parkerson’s actions rise to the level of murder, or whether it was a tragic accident.

Testimony will continue through the week. If convicted, Parkerson faces up to 25 years to life in prison.

Contact the writer: semery@ocregister.com