Remembering Our Dead

Terri Benally

Terri was a Navajo transgender woman who was found badly beaten and unconscious on the street. She later died of her injuries in hospital.

Her death may be connected to the murder of Kelly Watson who was murdered blocks away. Investigators said they do not have a motive in the killing, but believe Benally may have been meeting someone she met online. Benally is the third Navajo transgender person slain in Albuquerque since 2004. The others were Kelly Watson (see above) and Ryan Shey Hoskie, 23, found beaten to death on December 27, 2004.

Roger Paul Preston was convicted of her murder and sentenced to 16 years in prison.

Native Out, 08.07.2009

https://avp.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/2009_NCAVP_HV_Report.pdf

https://www.krqe.com/news/arrest-made-in-2009-cold-case-murder/

https://www.navajonationcouncil.org/wpcontent/uploads/2021/10/MMDR_PRESENTATION_2021.pdf

Report added: 11 Nov 2018. Last updated: 11 Mar 2024

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