TDoR 2018 / 2017 / November / 30 / Alloura Wells


Alloura Wells

Age 27

30 Nov 2017
Toronto, Ontario (Canada)
Not reported

Alloura Wells
Alloura Wells [photo: www.cbc.ca]

Alloura disappeared on 15th July 2017, but was not reported missing by her family until 5th November. Her body was identified on 30th November.

On 5th August the decomposed body of an unidentified transgender woman was found in a ravine by a woman out walking with a friend. After community pressure Toronto police finally used DNA analysis to identify the body on 30th November.

The results confirmed that the remains belonged to Alloura Wells, but her cause of death was ruled “undetermined.”

Rebecca Price was walking through the Rosedale ravine in mid-town Toronto with a friend on Aug 5, 2017, when she came across a horrific sight: a dead woman’s body.

She called the police and followed up with the detective. Price spoke to the detective a few times, but he didn’t seem to know much. “I think he just couldn’t wait to get me off the phone,” she said. She did learn one crucial detail: the body was a transgender woman.

So Price went online and looked for organizations that did advocacy for transgender people, figuring they might be able to help find out who the woman was. She reached out to The 519 community centre, which told her that they’d look into it.

Maggie’s: Toronto Sex Workers Action Project posted this to Facebook on November 19th:

“Wells has been missing for four months now. Toronto Police have been reluctant to take up the case (initially refusing to file a missing person report altogether) because she was homeless and engaged in sex work when she disappeared. Police told family and friends that it’s “not uncommon” for homeless people and sex workers to disappear in the city. Trans Pride Toronto, Maggie’s: Toronto Sex Workers Action Project and community have been working with Alloura’s family to organize community searches and outreach efforts to gather information.”

Without the combined efforts of Rebecca Price, Trans Pride Toronto, Maggie’s: Toronto Sex Workers Action Project and Alloura’s family Toronto police wouldn’t have bothered.

https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/evaawm/friends-of-missing-transgender-woman-say-police-arent-doing-enough

http://planettransgender.com/transgender-woman-found-in-toronto-ravine-identified-as-alloura-wells/

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/alloura-wells-boyfriend-person-of-interest-1.4439939

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/death-of-alloura-wells-tells-a-story-of-a-vulnerablecommunity/article37356642/

https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/alloura-wells-was-a-talented-singer-with-a-good-heart-her-father-says-at-memorial-1.3718416

Report added: 1 Sep 2018. Last updated: 7 Sep 2019

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This site contains reports of violence against transgender people, and links to detailed reports which contain graphic imagery.

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