American Trans
Activist Killed in Puerto Vallarta

A transsexual and community activist from Madison, Wis., was stabbed to death early Monday while on vacation in Mexico, and officials said Tuesday they have arrested a man who confessed to killing her.

State prosecutor's official Guillermo Martin Diaz said the man told police he stabbed Felicia Melton-Smyth because she refused to pay for sex.

Diaz said the suspect, Francisco Javier Hollos, had been in the beach resort of Puerto Vallarta only a few days and didn't have anywhere to stay when he met Melton-Smyth.

The slaying devastated the LGBT community in Madison, where Melton-Smyth was a major fund-raiser for the AIDS Network.

Her day job was in the billing department for the University of Wisconsin Medical Foundation, the clinical practice organization for doctors who work in the hospital and teach in the medical school.

On nights and weekends she was a fixture and part-time employee at the Shamrock Bar, where she helped raise money for AIDS initiatives, and at Christmas urged patrons to buy gifts for children who either had AIDS or whose parents did.

''Her unofficial title here was cruise director. She took care of fund-raising, parties, decorations. She kept the place in line,'' said coworker Cheryl Vigdal. ''The smiles, the jokes she put out -- that was priceless around here.''

Vigdal said Melton-Smyth frequently vacationed in Puerto Vallarta with friends. (AP)