Remembering Our Dead

Ciara McElveen

Police officers found Ciara lying facedown on the pavement and suffering from multiple stab wounds. She was taken to the hospital where she later died from her injuries.

A transgender woman was named by a witness as the person killed in what police said was a fatal stabbing Monday (Feb. 27) in the 7th Ward. The woman was dragged out of a vehicle by the driver after she had apparently been stabbed more than once, according to the witness and police.

The New Orleans Police Department said it could not confirm the gender identity of the victim. The department initially reported the victim was a woman, but later said the victim was a man, only to then indicate it was still investigating the victim's identity.

The witness at the scene, however, provided the identity of the victim -- whom he said he had known for several years. The victim's identified herself as a transgender woman in her social media account.

In July 2018 a warrant was issued for the arrest of Leonard Ward, 55, on a charge of second-degree murder.

https://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2018/07/murder_warrant_transgender_wom.html

https://mic.com/articles/169818/ciara-mc-elveen-transgender-woman-killed-in-new-orleans

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2017/02/28/another-trans-woman-has-been-stabbed-and-killed-in-new-orleans/

http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2017/03/pushed_to_societys_edges_7th_w.html

https://www.nola.com/news/crime_police/article_b6c84f79-6910-54da-9d38-4ebd6f431318.html

Report added: 1 Sep 2018. Last updated: 11 Sep 2022

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