Carolina Chenoa Soto
5 Oct 2025
Machala, El Oro (Ecuador)
Strangled
Carolina was murdered in her home, where she also worked as a stylist.
The discovery of the body of Carolina Chenoa Soto, a 50-year-old hairstylist, shocked residents of downtown Machala in El Oro on Sunday, October 5.
The victim, who identified as a transgender woman, was found dead inside her home and beauty salon on calle Guayas, between calles Boyacá and Pasaje, in Machala, El Oro. Police officers arrived at the scene following an ECU-911 alert issued by neighbors who had noticed her absence for several days.
In the bedroom, the victim was found surrounded by blood, next to a knife. Initially, it was believed she had been attacked with a knife, but forensic experts ruled out stab wounds, and the case was treated as an undetermined death.
The autopsy performed on October 6 at the Machala Forensic Center confirmed the cause of death as strangulation. No serious external injuries were found, suggesting that she was attacked with no opportunity to defend herself.
Machala District Chief Luis Suárez stated that no signs of a struggle or robbery were found, leading to the assumption that she knew her attacker. Carolina was a well-known member of the LGBTI community in El Oro. Activists demanded a gender-sensitive investigation to determine whether this was a hate crime.
https://www.laprensa.com.ec/estilista-trans-de-51-anos-asesinada-en-local/
https://www.instagram.com/p/DPb4-I4DLqb/
https://www.facebook.com/reel/4326866024303825
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-J_SgP8QBY
