Quanesha Shantel ("Cocoa")
Age 2510 Nov 2024
Greensboro, North Carolina (USA)
Shot
TDoR list ref: tgeu/tdor2025/10-Nov-2024/Quanesha "Cocoa" Shantel
Cocoa was found shot dead in a crashed vehicle on Guilford College Road. Her ex-boyfriend, Jeremy Reynolds, 31, who has been charged with first-degree murder.
According to friends and family, Cocoa had broken up with him four months prior, and he had been “violently upset” ever since.
On Sunday, November 10, 2024, at around 9:15 p.m., officers from the Greensboro Police Department, along with firefighters and EMS, were dispatched to the 400 block of Guilford College Road. They responded to reports of shots fired and found Cocoa inside a 2014 Honda Accord, deceased from multiple gunshot wounds.
According to arrest warrants obtained by The North Carolina Beat, Cocoa was inside the car when she was shot with a semi-automatic weapon. Reynolds has since been charged with first-degree murder and discharging a firearm into an occupied dwelling or vehicle.
Reynolds appeared in court for the first time on Wednesday, where he was denied bond. He remains detained at the Greensboro Detention Center.
Police have not yet released the full details surrounding the murder, but it appears that Reynolds was in love with Cocoa and couldn’t bear to see her walk away from him.
Cocoa was part of the ballroom community and well-known from her participation around the Southern states of the US. According to her social media, she was part of the House of Mizrahi.
Her Facebook profile is https://www.facebook.com/qaa.chanel/.
https://www.advocate.com/crime/quanesha-shantel-trans-woman-murdered
https://www.themirror.com/news/us-news/north-carolina-trans-woman-shot-808589
https://www.wfmynews2.com/article/news/crime/greensboro-guilford-college-murder-man-charged-november-2024/83-bd1c2f1b-d8a6-4deb-b0f0-c2909deb7f32 [https://archive.is/IYv2J]
https://gunmemorial.org/2024/11/10/juchuan-cocoa-hamilton-aka-quanesha-shantel
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1094103952717771&set=a.492785602849612
https://www.instagram.com/p/DCPY04uSu98
https://twitter.com/WFMY/status/1856516956460847599
https://x.com/PghLesbian24/status/1857485722401329456
Kyla Jane Walker
Age 39 (born 10 Jan 1985)10 Nov 2024
Austin, Texas (USA)
Run over
Kyla died after being struck by a vehicle in a hit and run. When she transitioned she had reportedly been ostracised by all of her birth family other than her sister.
Aldair Albiter-Casas was arrested on a charge of collision involving death a week later on 17th January.
My beautiful sister was struck by a vehicle and killed in a hit and run in Austin, TX on Sunday. When she transitioned, she was ostracized by everyone in our religious family. But not me, she became mine.
She was the most brilliant human I've ever encountered a fierce advocate for the weird and wonderful that made up her found family. I'm utterly devastated and she leaves a hole in my heart that will never be filled.
I have fought tooth and nail to respect her wishes and honor her legacy against my mother who abandoned her 10 years ago. She will be cremated and placed into a tree urn that will hopefully one day grow in my back yard for my children who adored her to climb.
I'm not sure what I'm trying to do with this. I love this group and the acceptance and love her and she deserves to have her memory flung far and wide.
She mattered. And she mattered to me.
Thank you all. Her last words on her final social media post were this:
"Resist Despair"
Love you Forever Kyla Walker
Kyla Jane Walker (January 10,1985 - November 10,2024)
UPDATE
Y'all have me crying at work I was not expecting this.
Not a single member of my family offered condolences, sent flowers, or offered money for her funeral. My wife and I worked tirelessly to honor her wishes and both her death certificate and cremation certificate use her legal name Kyla Jane Walker and are addressed to me as I claimed her in death the same way I did in life.
We made the crash site a memorial to honor her. Her found family gifted me two of her guitars that now sit in my music room (our shared passion). My wife and I got tattoos of her handwriting that she wrote in our wedding book. I got a tattoo that she had on her neck on my leg in the trans colors. We celebrated her 40th birthday party January 10 with her ashes in a dark humor way that she would have absolutely loved (we put a party hat and googly eyes on her ashes) and then a week later, her murderer was arrested thanks in part to the massive amount of work my wife did bc she was not satisfied with APD's response. He is currently in jail charged with 4 felonies awaiting his court date.
Words will never express what your kind words have meant to me. In my darkest hour, I reached out to the Internet for kindness because my family failed me. They answered then, and 3 months later, y'all have answered today
Resist Despair Always. For Kyla.
https://paznote.com/regional/kyla-jane-walker/
https://www.austintexas.gov/news/update-apd-arrests-suspect-connection-fatal-crash
https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/austin-suspect-arrested-in-se-hit-and-run-killing-pedestrian
https://www.fox7austin.com/news/man-arrested-connection-deadly-se-austin-hit-and-run
https://www.austintexas.gov/news/update-apd-arrests-suspect-connection-fatal-crash
https://www.gofundme.com/f/honoring-kyla-jane-walkers-memory
Name Unknown
7 Nov 2024
USA
Suicide
TDoR list ref: tgeu/tdor2025/10-Nov-2024/Disneys Borrero
The victim died by suicide two days after the 2024 US presidential election. Reportedly she was fearful of what the Trump presidency would mean for trans people.
My cousin committed suicide two days after Trump was elected. Her family loved her and accepted her trans identity. She had a wife and a dog. Still, she feared whatever Trump had in store would be unsurvivable.
[Editor's Note: There is some indication that the victim may have been in Alaska, but this is not confirmed]
https://bsky.app/profile/remytheplaguerat.bsky.social/post/3lh2zhjzgbs2x
Sydney Leigh Phillips ("Syd")
Age 22 (born 31 Jul 2002)5 Nov 2024
East Islip, New York (USA)
Suicide
Sydney died by suicide.
A friend said of her: "I will never know anyone quite like Sydney again. She was truly one of a kind, and a dear friend. I’ll carry our many memories. Rest easy Syd."
On November 5th, 2024, Sydney Leigh Phillips passed away from suicide. She was living in East Islip, NY, USA. She was born July 31st, 2002. I personally didn't know Sydney, but her life was shared with me from a member of the community that was close to her. I believe she attended the University of Rhode Island. I will include the link to the obituary page. No obituary is listed, but the kind words shared by friends I think can speak far more of her kind-hearted nature and the love she had for others.
https://www.chapeyfamily.com/obituaries/Sydney-Leigh-Phillips?obId=33632628
https://www.gofundme.com/f/honoring-sydney-leigh-phillips-support-needed
Spencer James Kastl
Age 2231 Oct 2024
Saint Louis Park, Minnesota (USA)
Not reported
Spencer passed away on 31st October. Although his death was initially reported to have been by suicide, a relative subsequently confirmed that his death was accidental.
Spencer's Facebook profile is https://www.facebook.com/spencer.kastl.
https://www.instagram.com/freakyfrog.nett/p/DCSx5WyvuTZ/
https://www.instagram.com/mattyg026/p/DCDPKPnPZDA/
Serenity Birdsong
Age 2128 Oct 2024
Murfreesboro, Tennessee (USA)
Suicide
Serenity died by suicide inside the library of her university. She was the vice president of MTSU’s student LGBTQ+ organization MT Lambda.
Serenity Birdsong, a transgender student at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU), killed themselves on Monday inside the campus’ James E. Walker Library. Birdsong was vice president of MTSU’s student LGBTQ+ organization MT Lambda.
The school canceled classes and closed the library on Tuesday but resumed normal operations on Wednesday. Additional details about Birdsong’s suicide have neither been made publicly available nor reported by the media.
“Serenity was more than an officer to us; many of us considered Serenity our friend, and her ability to light up a room, paired with her wholesome demeanor, made her welcome anywhere, but especially in Lambda where we are burdened by the darkness of existing in a world so often cruel to us. And it is this darkness that snuffed out Serenity’s light,” MT Lambda wrote in a Tuesday afternoon Instagram post marking Birdsong’s suicide.
The group had planned on hosting a Halloween party on Wednesday but instead will host a discussion and grieving space for people in memory of Birdsong. Additionally, the Student Government Association will hold a vigil on Wednesday at 6 p.m. local time in front of the campus library. The MTSU campus publication has also highlighted the availability of counseling services for students.
MT Lambda’s post memorializing Birdsong included a poem written by her. An extract from the poem is reproduced below:
“The trouble of life both big and small seem to fade as the obstacles falls. Now we embark on a new adventure one with which we may joke and gesture. But all in all, that which I hope most is that I spend time with those I love, before I’m a ghost.”
https://elclosetlgbt.com/closetnews/mujer-trans-joven-muere-por-suicido-en-su-propia-escuela/
https://www.wsmv.com/2024/10/31/student-witness-mtsu-library-suicide-speaks-out-before-campus-vigil/
https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2024/10/trans-student-leader-kills-self-in-campus-library/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoKXgA395no
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdSlU2cg3Xw
https://x.com/KarenAFox17/status/1864859666905223384
Leah Jo
Age 3725 Oct 2024
Denver, Colorado (USA)
Suicide
Leah died by suicide. She had a degree in political science from UMass Amherst and was originally from North Hampton.
Hello, It is with a really heavy heart that I reach out to let you know about someone from my local community we lost. A trans woman in Denver Colorado, Leah Jo, [died by] suicide on October 25, 2024. She had just recently turned 37 and has left a gap in the hearts of a lot of the queer community in this part of town.
She was from North Hampton, Massachusetts and graduated from UMass Amherst. She had a political science degree. I did not know Leah personally but a lot of folks in my circle were also in hers. She was a loving friend and cared deeply for other people and for her world. She will be missed.
When I was just a newly orphaned, way too talkative, obviously queer and neurodiverse teen, I definitely clinged to Leah Jo whenever she came to hang out with [redacted] and she always listened no matter how annoying I was and it’s something I’ll never forget. I’m sad we never got to share our trans joy together in my adult years but I will continue to live as loud as possible for her.
All hail the fucking queen.
Leah's Facebook profile is https://www.facebook.com/leah.jo.5070. A memorial group was set up in her memory at https://www.facebook.com/groups/leahjolove/.
Jay Floris
Age 2324 Oct 2024
Stockton, California (USA)
Run over
TDoR list ref: tgeu/tdor2025/24-Oct-2024/Jay Floris
Jay was killed in a hit and run incident while walking their service dog. They worked with people escaping domestic violence situations and were well known in their community.
Jamaraqui Burks, 27, was subsequently arrested.
STOCKTON, Calif. — Friends and family came together to remember a loved one who was killed in a hit-and-run crash in Stockton.
On Oct. 24, Jay Floris, who used they/them pronouns, was walking their service dog near San Joaquin Delta College near Pacific Avenue when they were struck by a car.
Floris was 23 years old and worked with people leaving domestic violence situations. ABC10 spoke with their sister Lillianna Herring at Floris' vigil.
"It is truly a tragedy. They were young and 23, still had a full life ahead of them.” Herring said. "They did not deserve to be killed because someone wanted to be reckless. This not only impacts our life, this guy's whole family is going to be impacted because of his stupid decision."
The suspect is 27-year-old Jamaraqui Burks. Burks had left the scene but was arrested nearby according to to Stockton Police Department. He was booked in the San Joaquin County Jail. His first court appearance will be on Monday.
https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/stockton/family-remembers-loved-one-killed-in-hit-and-run-near-delta-college/103-bf6da14b-01fc-4e31-a342-6b8130962986 [https://archive.is/vUkky]
https://www.gofundme.com/f/swd6z-help-us-lay-jay-to-rest
https://www.facebook.com/groups/688042038014714/posts/2986947084790853/
Allyson Ketchum ("Alex")
Age 29 (born 16 Apr 1995)22 Oct 2024
Mesa, Arizona (USA)
Suicide
Alex died by suicide. Despite being one of the first US infantry soldiers to transition, the 2016 presidential election threw her future into doubt and she left the army in 2020.
On October 22nd, my baby girl Alex was found lifeless in a park due to [suicide method redacted]. She came into this world to forge a new path and open the minds of those who rejected the LGBTQ community, as well as those within the community who turned against each other. She understood that this journey was difficult, unfair, and filled with heartbreak and suffering, yet she chose to push forward.
I envision her as a bull in a Spanish bullfight. Like the bull, she kept running and fighting even as the torero and his assistants inflicted wounds upon her. Ultimately, the final sword pierced her heart, tearing apart the three components of her being: her body, her soul, and her spirit. At that moment, everything was broken, and she took her last breath. I hope, with a sincere and heavy heart, that this event won’t be in vain. I wish that, with her passing, others will realize that when we leave this 3D dimension and earthly life, it won’t matter what our gender, race, social status, or beliefs are. Where we are headed, there are no such titles; it is a place of love and happiness. We are all connected and come from the same source. I will miss her so much, I will miss her saying or texting “I love you, Mom”. I am glad I could save some of the messages she left, I will be able to hear her physically which will give me comfort or a reason to cry when I am alone. Either way, it will help me to stay strong.
In July 2022 Allyson had given a speech at the March for Trans Justice event by Queerizona in the Arizona Capitol, and in 2023 she posted a timeline video about her transition on Rachel Moore's channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIdTpf8IyvE:
Allyson's LinkedIn profile is https://www.linkedin.com/in/allyson-ketchum-724128246.
https://bunkerfuneral.com/obituary/allyson-akec-ketchum/
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/allyson-ketchum-obituary?id=56626809
San Coleman
Age 48 (born 29 Apr 1976)20 Oct 2024
Athens, Georgia (USA)
Murdered
TDoR list ref: tgeu/tdor2025/20-Oct-2024/San Coleman
San appears to have been murdered while walking on a trail behind the University of Georgia Chicopee Complex.
Police are investigating after 48-year-old trans person San Coleman was brutally murdered in Athens, Georgia, on October 19.
Athens-Clarke County Police were dispatched to a popular walking trail behind the University of Georgia’s Chicopee Complex, roughly a mile northeast of downtown Athens, at 9am on October 19 a passerby found Coleman critically injured and covered in blood.
While Coleman’s sister told 11 Alive (published in an article that misgenders Coleman) that “nobody would ever hurt [her],” Coleman’s death is presumed by police to have been a homicide perpetrated by someone walking their dog on the trail. Coleman’s phone was taken so she couldn’t call for help, and she died hours after being rushed to the hospital. Coleman’s family suspects that her LGBTQ identity may have played a role in her death.
Coleman’s identity has not been confirmed, as her family refers to her as a “gay man” with he/him pronouns, but Mutual Aid Athens noted in an Instagram post honoring her death that all photos of her online are of her presenting as a woman – and the reporters who have been covering her story have “very bad local track records with race and LGBTQ issues.”
https://www.themirror.com/news/us-news/trans-woman-murdered-found-covered-806453
https://thegavoice.com/news/georgia/athens-police-investigate-suspicious-death-of-san-coleman/
https://www.yahoo.com/news/police-investigate-suspicious-death-man-195456380.html
https://www.11alive.com/article/news/crime/family-in-disbelief-after-athens-man-brutally-killed-walking-on-popular-trail/85-8c70848b-4f50-4ec8-8d4a-8b36b70d508f [https://archive.is/P9tLL]
https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/athens-ga/santonio-coleman-12043795
Rick Alastor Newman
Age 2917 Oct 2024
Bozeman, Montana (USA)
Shot
TDoR list ref: tgeu/tdor2025/17-Oct-2024/Rick Alastor Newman
Rick was shot by police. From the information available, it appears that he was experiencing a mental health crisis at the time.
News reports of his death misgender him and describe him as the aggressor, while conveniently ignoring the fact that the local police were likely untrained to deal with people experiencing mental health crises and - at least from the information available - did not attempt to de-escalate the situation.
His name was Rick Alastor Newman (he/him) and he was a trans man who lived in Bozeman, MT, USA and was shot and murdered by the police. Much of the news coverage (ex. https://www.facebook.com/kxlhtv/posts/sheriffcoroner-has-identified-rick-alastor-newman-as-the-person-who-died-details/1055719919836265/) around his death misgenders and/or deadnames him. He is greatly missed by his Montanan trans community. He was an artist, storyteller, and brother. He was excited to have just started hiking and camping and was looking forward to continue getting tattoos. In his passing, he joins his father, who he loved dearly.
It was reported that the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation will conduct an independent investigation into the shooting.
https://www.kxlh.com/news/montana-news/armed-woman-shot-by-police-in-bozeman-has-been-identified
Phoenix Cassetta
14 Oct 2024
Colchester, Vermont (USA)
Suicide
Phoenix died by suicide. She was the vice-president of Common Ground, a club which provides a safe space for LGBTQIA+ people and allies at Saint Michael's College.
Today the smc community was deeply saddened to learn about the passing of our CG vice president, Phoenix Cassetta. our thoughts and prayers are with Phoenix’s loved ones during this time.
Vie Mazur from Bergeron will be in the CWG (Alliot 206) tonight at 6pm for a space to grieve, and a service will be held in the chapel at 7pm tonight. directly afterward, space will be held in Cashman, where Phoenix was an RA. at 6pm on tuesday, wednesday and thursday, there will be gatherings in Cashman for support, reflection, and expression of condolences to the family, as well as sharing stories to honor Phoenix’s life. Phoenix was an amazing member of our community and they will be deeply missed.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DBHjIIMpH6b/
https://www.instagram.com/p/DBHjIIMpH6b/
Raven Syed
14 Oct 2024
Lawrenceville, New Jersey (USA)
Suicide
Raven died by suicide. He was an actuarial science major at Rider University and reportedly had been misgendered.
Junior actuarial science major Raven Syed was found deceased in a residence hall Monday, Oct. 14. He was a copy editor for The Rider News.
The university avoided the use of pronouns when announcing Syed’s death through email. Duggan [Syed’s roommate and former partner] noted that Syed had struggled with being misgendered by members of the Rider community throughout his time at Rider.
“I would say [the university] tried to avoid the use of direct pronouns for either legal risks or just general implications of getting it wrong,” Duggan said. “I was also never asked [about his pronouns] which annoys me a bit because … of all the other questions I was getting asked, pronouns was never one of them.”
https://theridernews.com/students-october-suicide-causes-discussion-on-campus-welfare-checks/
https://www.instagram.com/theridernews/p/DBJeW0AP4Zv/
Megan Jordan Kridli
Age 22 (born 25 Jan 2002)9 Oct 2024
Miami, Florida (USA)
Suicide
Megan died by suicide.
As a trans person of Palestinian origin the genocide in Gaza and the current anti-trans rhetoric in the media and politics must have hit her hard.
Today, I want us to remember 22-year-old Megan Jordan Kridli. She was a friend, collaborator, and powerhouse Palestinian trans youth organizer. I first met her last year when she invited me to speak at her university. Her insightfulness, activist skills, and brilliance immediately blew me away. She organized with numerous groups between her college genders and sexualities club to an international social justice publication - all before the age of 18! She had so much to look forward to with community organizing and beginning her PhD in computer science.
Trans youth shouldn’t have to have these accomplishments to be remembered, but I can’t overlook how she unapologetically made her mark on the world.
We spoke often as things got worse between the Palestinian genocide and the anti-trans rhetoric circulating across the country. I invited her to collaborate on some projects a few months ago, but she didn’t have time as her work and pressure ballooned. I did not know how straining it all was. She ended her life right after the anniversary of the genocide, the same month her senator promised to ban healthcare for trans girls like her.
As we remember Megan’s contributions to the community, we cannot forget that trans youth are real people. They deserve celebration, support, and life. They deserve unconditional love for who they are.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DCZlcHgxRa5/
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1096383428525305&id=100044609731549&set=a.408532660643722
https://www.desmondfuneralhome.com/obituaries/M-Jordan-Kridli?obId=33344067
Jill Heathers Bouvier
Age 54 (born 24 Apr 1970)3 Oct 2024
Omaha, Nebraska (USA)
Suicide
Jill died by suicide. She/they used they/she pronouns and was actively involved in Transformative, a local transgender/non-binary adult support group.
Jill Heathers Bouvier of Omaha, NE passed away on Thursday, 10/03/2023 at the age of 54. They were born on 04/20/1970 in Owensboro, KY where they grew up with their mother Fumie Bouvier, father Arthur “Mike” Bouvier, and sister Marie Bouvier.
They were actively involved in Transformative, a transgender/non-binary adult support group. Jill enjoyed cooking, baking, and eating, but their true passion was collecting things, anything.
Jill will be remembered for their quick, dry, sarcastic wit. Their huge caring, loving, and generous heart, but most of all, their stoic scowl that hid her beautiful smile will forever be etched on our hearts.
Jill was a very special person and loved her friends and community very much. They will always be remembered for their huge heart, kindness, generosity, and, compassion. Jill was truly one of a kind and will forever be missed by their loved ones. She was my Jill Pickle and even though our time together was way too short, I will always cherish the time that I did get with them. I love you Pickle, you are my favorite.
https://neptunesociety.com/obituaries/omaha-ne/jill-bouvier-12019153
Honee Walker
Age 372 Oct 2024
Rochester, New York (USA)
Run over
TDoR list ref: tgeu/tdor2025/2-Oct-2024/Honee Walker
Honee was killed in a hit-and-run incident. Local media misgendered and deadnamed her.
The driver responsible has been identified but not arrested, and the "accident" remains under investigation.
Honee Walker, a 37-year-old Black transgender woman, was killed in a hit-and-run accident in Rochester, N.Y., last Wednesday. Walker has been misgendered and deadnamed in local media reports.
The accident occurred just before midnight. Walker was a pedestrian, and the driver who hit her left the scene, TV station WHAM reports. She was pronounced dead soon afterward. The driver and vehicle have since been identified, but no arrests have been made, and the accident remains under investigation.
After the incident, Walker’s family gave her name to media outlets, but some have not corrected their reporting. The latest WHAM story, however, states her correct name and refers to her as a "pedestrian" and "victim," with no gender mentioned.
“The victim identified both publicly and privately as a transgender woman,” says a press release from Blaque/Out Magazine.
“Although several stations have posted updates to the story, the accepted media practice would be to correct the original misreported piece in print if possible and digitally everywhere it originally appeared,” the release continues. “This isn’t just new information, it is considered disrespectful and a documented form of transphobia, transmisia, prejudice and oppression visited upon the LGBTQIA+ but specifically the Trans community.
"Despite the fact that your original reporting information was likely provided by [the Rochester Police Department], organizations nationwide track the disproportionate rate of deaths of Trans community members, specifically Black Trans women and those numbers are deeply skewed when the media misreports the accurate identity of the individual. These errors whether purposeful or in ignorance can even lead to delayed justice for families and victims.”
https://www.advocate.com/crime/transgender-woman-honee-walker-killed
https://gaycitynews.com/rochester-black-trans-woman-killed-hit-and-run/
Gracen Coon
Age 3322 Sep 2024
Santa Fe, New Mexico (USA)
Shot
Gracen was shot and killed by police while he was experiencing a mental health crisis. His wife has filed a wrongful death suit against the police.
A widow whose husband was shot and killed by a Santa Fe police officer responding to her 911 call has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the City of Santa Fe.
Gracen Coon, a 33-year-old trans man with a history of mental illness, was shot and killed by police officer David Gallegos following a 911 call made by Coon’s wife.
Lili Gordon, 32, called 911 just before daybreak on Sept. 22, 2024, asking for “someone to come get [her] husband” because he was “having a meltdown” and she was “afraid he [was] going to hurt himself,” according to the complaint filed in county court.
Gordon requested paramedics to the dispatcher on duty at Santa Fe Regional Communications Center. She stated her husband was not violent and had no weapons but she feared he might hurt himself.
The complaint says officers took about half an hour to arrive, but minutes after they confronted Coon on his porch he lay dead in the yard outside their home in a neighborhood off San Mateo Road.
The suit, brought by Gordon and her parents, accuses police of excessive use of force, negligence and sex or gender identity discrimination, according to the lawsuit.
Gracen's killing came to light too late for is name to be included on the TDoR 2024 memorial list released by Transgender Europe (TGEU) in November 2024.
https://sfreporter.com/news/city-sued-for-wrongful-death-of-trans-man/
https://sfreporter.com/coverstories/too-soon-to-shoot/
https://ground.news/article/he-died-because-we-asked-for-help-widow-of-man-shot-by-police-sues-city
https://bsky.app/profile/feeds.trans.report/post/3lkdwphigu222
https://bsky.app/profile/santafedsa.bsky.social/post/3lcdntqlhas25
Cass Trystero
20 Sep 2024
Bellingham, Washington (USA)
Suicide
Cass died by suicide. Among other things they were a poet who published their own poetry on their website at https://www.tricksterpoems.com/.
Trickster
The more I struggle
The worse it gets.
I buy a coat, then
I’m too thin to wear it.
I buy a house, then
Wind covers it in smoke.
I make a garden, then
Wind covers it in smoke.
I sit in my house coughing.
I write a poem, then
You assume my poem
Is about you, then
You hate my poem.
“You’re a liar,” you say.
How was I to know
You were thin, your garden
Was covered in smoke
That you sat in your house
Coughing?
Their Facebook profile is https://www.facebook.com/casstrystero.
https://issuu.com/beyondwordslite/docs/pdf24_merged_6_1_1_1_1_
Aoife Dovah Velspira
13 Sep 2024
Chubbuck, Idaho (USA)
Liver and kidney failure
Aoife died from liver and kidney failure after a violent incident left her severely injured and on dialysis.
Her transition was recent and she was experiencing homelessness.
I was hoping to add a name to the list of lives lost for this year. Aofie Dovah Velspira, a courageous trans woman from Chubbuck whose strength and resilience inspired many. Since August 1st, 2024, she endured unimaginable challenges after a violent incident with her father left her severely injured. Despite her incredible fight, her kidneys and liver failed, and she passed September 13th, 2024.
After the incident Aoife had started a fundraiser to pay for her medical bills:
Hi my name it Aoife (ee-fa). I'm fundraising to pay my medical bills off & buy a vehicle.
This is important to me because I've got congenital heart disease, autism, bipolar, ADHD, borderline personality disorder, schizoaffective, and gender dysphoria. I've got medical bills that I can't afford to pay that just keep adding up and affecting my credit. I've no job or income disability has been denying me for the last 7 years and now I'm homeless.
I would like to get a cheap vehicle to live out of so that im not on the streets and have transportation to look for work. Every little bit helps me pay my medical debt off & get a used vehicle.
A celebration of her life was held on 19th October.
Her mum said the following about Aoife:
"Aoife left this physical world at the young age of 27. A deep thinker and wise beyond her years, she had such a beautiful soul. She loved everyone from all walks of life, and had such a big heart with a brilliant mind and never-ending imagination. Everywhere she went, she made friends. She loved to put fun outfits together and wear Lennon glasses and elf ears. She loved all kinds of activities, especially playing video and role-playing games, longboarding, and outdoor things like fishing, camping, and going for hikes, Aoife loved being in nature and enjoyed going up City Creek for walks with her friends. She is greatly missed."
According to a friend Aoife was autistic, loved music and roleplaying games such as D&D, and liked to draw or watch old 90's anime.
Her mum said this about her:
"Aoife left this physical world at the young age of 27. A deep thinker and wise beyond her years, she had such a beautiful soul. She loved everyone from all walks of life, and had such a big heart with a brilliant mind and never-ending imagination.
"Everywhere she went, she made friends. She loved to put fun outfits together and wear Lennon glasses and elf ears. She loved all kinds of activities, especially playing video and role-playing games, longboarding, and outdoor things like fishing, camping, and going for hikes, Aoife loved being in nature and enjoyed going up City Creek for walks with her friends.
"She is greatly missed."
Aoife's Facebook profile is https://www.facebook.com/taylen.hall/.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/end-my-medical-debt-homelessness
https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-aoifes-critical-recovery-journey
Barbie Iceland ("Redd China")
Age 25-268 Sep 2024
Chicago, Illinois (USA)
Shot
TDoR list ref: tgeu/tdor2024/8-Sep-2024/Barbie Iceland ("Redd China")
Redd was shot by a man who had earlier been observed approaching a woman in another group of people. 30 minutes later he returned and opened fire, killing Redd.
More than 15 shell casings, all from a rifle, were recovered at the scene.
Family members are calling for a hate crime investigation after a transgender woman was killed in a shooting over the weekend on the West Side.
Redd, also known as Barbie to her friends, was shot and killed early Sunday in the 4500 block of West Monroe Street. Another person was critically wounded in the shooting, according to Chicago police.
Redd’s cousin Mariyah Phillips said she received a call from a close friend screaming “Redd’s not moving. She just got shot.” She kept calling back for updates, only to eventually be told her cousin, 26, was gone.
The pair grew up together, like siblings, in the Humboldt Park neighborhood, Phillips told the Sun-Times on Monday.
“We were really close,” she said. “[She] was always the person that, no matter what challenges [she] faced, she always made it out on top.”
Redd transitioned at 16 years old, and though she remained close with her relatives, found a community of chosen family members.
Phillips held a memorial balloon release Sunday and was shocked to see how many people came to mourn, and how much her cousin meant to them.
“I know how I love [her] and how I feel about [her],” Phillips said, “but the way they feel is different.”
Redd's Facebook profile is https://www.facebook.com/jushawna.joseph/.
https://www.them.us/story/redd-barbie-black-trans-woman-killed-chicago
https://www.advocate.com/crime/transgender-death-chicago-redd
https://www.pghlesbian.com/2024/09/her-name-was-redd-black-trans-woman-fatally-shot-in-chicago/
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/1-killed-1-critically-wounded-west-garfield-park-shooting
https://www.instagram.com/p/C_s9qc_tema/
Kassim Omar
Age 296 Sep 2024
Colombus, Ohio (USA)
Shot
TDoR list ref: tgeu/tdor2024/6-Sep-2024/Kassim Omar
Kassim died from injuries sustained in a shooting in 2022 which left her paralysed from the neck down and unable to breathe without assistance.
Kassim Omar wanted to be heard.
Even after a 2022 shooting left her paralyzed from the neck down and unable to breathe on her own, she fought to be able to speak and tell her story.
Omar, 29, was a transgender woman and former refugee originally from Somalia. She had lived in the United States and Columbus since 2015.
Omar died from injuries related to the shooting that paralyzed her on Sept. 6, authorities said. Two teenagers have been charged with murder in her death.
After she was shot, Omar spent most of her time in bed at an East Side nursing home, able to speak but do little else. She had previously loved to dance and sing, get dressed up and go out and just drive around in her car, she said.
Indiana Grayson
Age 2723 Aug 2024
USA
Suicide
Indiana died by suicide. Apparently her parents were not supportive of her transition.
On Trans Day Of Visibility she wrote this on her Instagram:
i spent all of yesterday being deadnamed, misgendered, and forced to wear a suit for people who are supposed to love me. so thank you to my found family and actual loved ones. you mean the world to me
Indiana's Threads, Instagram and TikTok profiles are https://www.threads.net/@indianagrayson, https://www.instagram.com/indianagrayson and https://www.tiktok.com/@indianagrayson.
https://www.themirror.com/news/us-news/trans-woman-transphobic-parents-suicide-808489
https://www.threads.net/@veronica.at.last/post/C_E3JT9OY8n
https://www.threads.net/@veronica.at.last/post/C_ElLGMOr7S
https://x.com/oncloud_e/status/1827041767159689558
https://x.com/lane_wolfe_/status/1827000468842614988
https://www.instagram.com/p/C_A9hS4umlu/?img_index=1
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1570448163283501/posts/3807741416220820/
Ava Michal Hudson
Age 277 Aug 2024
Chicago, Illinois (USA)
Suicide
Ava died by suicide. She was a bus driver and had been repeatedly misgendered at work but had not been offered any support by her employer.
The day Ava Michal Hudson got her new Chicago Transit Authority work ID in January 2024, she showed it right off.
In a selfie to her friend, she’s standing outside the Ogilvie Transportation Center near CTA’s Downtown headquarters, her dark layered hair blowing off her face, sparkly studs in her ears, chipped fuschia polish on the fingers holding the badge. She smiles faintly in the selfie but wide in the ID picture.
Ava, a trans woman, eagerly joined the short-staffed CTA to get the stability, benefits and hiring bonus that would pay for her independence and ongoing transition after years of unemployment and scraping by with gig work.
But in her seven months driving North Side bus routes, she found an environment that was not inclusive or supportive even as the CTA specifically includes gender identity in its anti-discrimination policy, the Chicago Sun-Times found after reviewing her hundred pages of records and interviewing family and friends. Supervisors and colleagues regularly misgendered her, including on work documents. A boxy, mannish uniform put her ill at ease and confused riders into calling her “sir.” She knew no other trans co-workers. And it’s not clear she had help from her union.
She felt “uncomfortable,” her dad said, at the job she desperately needed during a vulnerable time in her life — in the life of anyone in the early stages of transitioning.
One year ago, on the morning of Aug. 7, 2024, Ava was seen in her blue CTA shirt and black pants running down the platform at the Austin L station near her home in Oak Park. Instead of boarding the Blue Line train toward her shift that day, Ava died by suicide. She was 27.
Police found no note. Her stunned friends and family have been left to wonder.
https://www.wbez.org/lgbtq/2025/08/08/cta-transgender-bus-driver-suicide-ava-hudson-blue-line
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6MFFGvJpHM
Tai'Vion Lathan
Age 244 Aug 2024
Baltimore, Maryland (USA)
Shot
TDoR list ref: tgeu/tdor2024/4-Aug-2024/Tai'Vion Lathan
Tai'Vion died after being found unresponsive in an alley. She had been shot.
BALTIMORE (WBFF) — A woman was shot dead on Sunday morning in West Baltimore, police say.
According to officials, on August 4 around 10:01 a.m., officers responded to a call for an unresponsive woman in a rear alley in the area of West Lanvale Street.
Upon arrival, officers say they found an unknown woman suffering from a fatal gunshot wound in the 800 block of North Monroe Street.
Homicide detectives are investigating.
https://www.advocate.com/crime/dylan-gurley-transgender-woman-death
https://www.metroweekly.com/2024/08/taivion-lathan-a-transgender-woman-gunned-down-in-baltimore/
https://www.them.us/story/taivion-lathan-black-trans-woman-killed-baltimore
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/08/10/us/transgender-woman-shot-killed-baltimore/index.html
https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/08/08/taivion-lathan-baltimore-death/
https://www.wmar2news.com/local/transgender-woman-gunned-down-in-west-baltimore
https://www.yahoo.com/news/community-outraged-woman-killed-212014153.html
https://www.wbal.com/police-investigating-fatal-shooting-of-transgender-woman-in-west-baltimore/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bl5KirpgZj8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtisMLAgMLI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXmhedkIk4A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fq0YTIdc69I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pjpxCAoGcQ
Vanity Williams
Age 343 Aug 2024
Houston, Texas (USA)
Shot
TDoR list ref: tgeu/tdor2024/3-Aug-2024/Vanity Williams
Vanity was found with gunshot wounds by police who were called to an apartment lobby following reports of a shooting. She died at the scene.
Tristian Sanders, 26, was arrested on suspicion of murder.
A 34-year-old Black transgender woman named Vanity Williams was killed in Houston on August 3, 2024. Her death came to our attention through HRC.
Vanity was found shot to death in a Houston home. From the Houston Police Department
"HPD patrol officers responded to a shooting call at the apartment complex at the above address and found an unresponsive female with gunshot wounds. Houston Fire Department paramedics responded to the scene and pronounced the female, later identified as Ms. Williams, deceased."
Several days later, the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office in Louisiana arrested the suspect in Vanity’s murder. Tristian Sanders, 26, was arrested after he was found at a home in the 600 Block of Lac Verret Drive in Luling. Sanders is in Louisiana custody awaiting extradition to Texas.
Vanity was an Air Force veteran who had recently started at nursing school. She was fluent in Spanish and Japanese, enjoyed a wide range of music and movies and was a fan of makeup, nail art, and fashion.
Rest in power, Vanity. You brought so much good and healing to this world, surrounding yourself with good friends and beautiful things while you served our country and pursued your aspirations. Thank you for the legacy you indelibly left in Houston and beyond. I hope the capture of the person who stole your life helps you rest knowing he cannot hurt another.
May your memory be a revolution.
https://www.them.us/story/vanity-williams-black-trans-woman-veteran-nursing-student-texas
https://www.edgemedianetwork.com/story/335038
https://gunmemorial.org/2024/08/02/vanity-williams
https://www.gofundme.com/f/h55y5s-vanity
Dylan Gurley
Age 20 (born 15 Aug 2024)23 Jul 2024
Denton, Texas (USA)
Beaten, stabbed and strangled
TDoR list ref: tgeu/tdor2024/23-Jul-2024/Dylan Gurley
Dylan died after being beaten, stabbed and strangled inside a residence.
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office has identified a woman who was killed in Denton on July 23, ruling her death a homicide.
The slain woman is 20-year-old Dylan Gurley, a Little Elm resident, the medical examiner’s office reported.
A medical examiner ruled her death a homicide and her cause of death as blunt and sharp force injuries with strangulation.
People who knew her told the Denton Record-Chronicle they called her “Gurley.” She was experiencing homelessness, they said.
Denton police responded to the 3700 block of Holland Lane that night after a third-party caller reported finding an injured woman inside a home.
Medics transported her to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead at about 11:48 p.m.
As of Tuesday afternoon, no one had been arrested in relation to the case, Deputy Chief Derek Bradford said.
The department previously asked that anyone with information about the case contact Detective Jasmine Badiru at 940-349-7977.
Dylan may have been homeless. Her Facebook profile is https://www.facebook.com/dylan.gurley.52.
https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/08/14/trans-woman-dylan-gurley-20-killed-in-texas/
https://www.them.us/story/dylan-gurley-trans-woman-texas-killed
https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/transgender-woman-murdered-denton/3622727/
https://www.fox4news.com/news/denton-holland-lane-homicide
https://x.com/TherenArima/status/1818893915765747956
https://www.facebook.com/100091503804855/videos/1377359216553743/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1570448163283501/posts/3790951544566474/
Monique Brooks (Jade-Monique Thomas)
Age 4919 Jul 2024
Orlando, Florida (USA)
Shot
TDoR list ref: tgeu/tdor2024/19-Jul-2024/Monique Brooks (Jade-Monique Thomas)
Monique was shot dead in a car parked in the parking lot of a mall. She died in hospital.
On Friday, July 19, 2024, a Black trans woman was found shot near The Florida Mall on Friday around 3:50 a.m., and died in the hospital, according to Orange County deputies. Her name was Monique Brooks also known as Jade-Monique Thomas, Monique was 49 years old.
The more specific location was the 8200 block of South Orange Blossom Trail in Orlando, Florida.There is little information available. The Orange County deputies responded to reports of gunshot fire and found Monique. She was alive and they transported her to the hospital where she succumbed to her injuries.
That’s what we know officially. Her family says she was shot and killed in her car.
She was born in Winter Park, Florida and relocated to Maitland, Florida. She was a digital creator. According to her socials, she was highly regarded as a hair stylist among her friends.
Her sibling Lecia described her as fun-loving, brilliant and smart. Friends are posting endless photos of outings and adventures, including a recent Zumba class. Monique liked a lot of Black creator content in movies, television, and music. Each year, she devoted her birthday to different causes, including the National LGBTQ Task Force. Please note that some of the media coverage and family posts misgender and deadname Monique.
Monique’s was an active participant with Divas in Dialogue, a sisterhood for trans women of color empowering, building and strengthening each other. Divas in Dialogue have been taking care of her homecoming expenses.
In January 2025 Jeremy Jamal Smith, 38, was arrested in connection with Monique's murder.
https://watermarkonline.com/2025/01/28/arrest-made-in-july-murder-of-orlando-trans-woman/
https://www.advocate.com/crime/monique-brooks-killed-florida
https://www.them.us/story/monique-brooks-black-trans-activist-death-florida
https://www.hrc.org/news/honoring-monique-brooks-transgender-woman-killed-in-orlando
https://www.instagram.com/glaad/p/C95ScHbt9M5/
https://x.com/equalityfl/status/1816488624814252506
Ev Smith
Age 16 (born 19 Mar 2008)15 Jul 2024
Norman, Oklahoma (USA)
Suicide
Ev died by suicide. They were nonbinary and used they/them pronouns.
Their obituary uses their deadname. A precied and corrected version is given below.
It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved [child] and [sibling], [Ev], who left this world on July 15, 2024. [Ev], age 16, was a shining light in the lives of all who knew [them], and [their] loss leaves an indescribable void.
[Ev] was a creative, witty soul that inspired others with [their] musical talents and humorous thoughts. Memories of [their] singing and [their] quips will be a comfort and inspiration for the family and friends [they leave] behind. [They were] also very generous and nurturing, displayed by the numerous recipients of [their] organ donations after [their] passing.
[Editor's Note: the location given in this report is that of the funeral home.]
Ev's Tiktok profile is https://www.tiktok.com/@sun.skat3r.
https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/norman-ok/madeline-smith-11897652
https://www.gofundme.com/f/honoring-maddy-help-seven-smith-kids-say-goodbye
https://www.gofundme.com/f/assist-with-maddys-final-farewell
https://www.tiktok.com/@sun.skat3r/video/7391994115254127903
https://www.tiktok.com/@sun.skat3r/photo/7391999023269399839
Shannon Boswell
Age 302 Jul 2024
Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
Shot and run over
TDoR list ref: tgeu/tdor2024/2-Jul-2024/Shannon Boswell
Shannon was found unresponsive in the street. Upon investigation it transpired that she had been shot and run over.
ATLANTA — Atlanta police are investigating after a woman was found dead in southwest Atlanta.
Officers were called to Martin Luther King Junior Drive NW near W. Lake Avenue NW around 11:30 a.m. on Thursday morning in reference to an unresponsive woman.
When they got there, she was not alert, conscious or breathing. She was pronounced dead on the scene.
There is no word about what led up to her death or if it is being treated as suspicious.
Police say they are continuing their investigation.
Shannon was found unresponsive in the street. Upon investigation it transpired that she had been shot and run over.
ATLANTA — Atlanta police are investigating after a woman was found dead in southwest Atlanta.
Officers were called to Martin Luther King Junior Drive NW near W. Lake Avenue NW around 11:30 a.m. on Thursday morning in reference to an unresponsive woman.
When they got there, she was not alert, conscious or breathing. She was pronounced dead on the scene.
There is no word about what led up to her death or if it is being treated as suspicious.
Police say they are continuing their investigation.
https://www.them.us/story/shannon-boswell-black-transgender-woman-killed-georgia
https://www.advocate.com/crime/transgender-woman-shannon-boswell-killed
https://www.them.us/story/shannon-boswell-black-transgender-woman-killed-georgia
https://www.advocate.com/crime/transgender-woman-shannon-boswell-killed
https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/man-killed-hit-and-run-crash-north-hairston-road-dekalb-county
https://x.com/wsbtv/status/1808980373587542130
Kenji Zemonta Spurgeon
Age 231 Jul 2024
Seattle, Washington (USA)
Shot
TDoR list ref: tgeu/tdor2024/1-Jul-2024/Kenji Zemonta Spurgeon
Kenji was shot in a restaurant parking lot just after midnight on Monday 1st July.
[Editor's Note: Gender neutral pronouns are used in this report as although it is known that Kenji identified as trans, there are conflicting reports on whether she identified as a trans person or a trans woman or some other identity]
A [person] was reported shot to death just after midnight in an E Pine parking lot.
In a chaotic sequence starting just before 12:30 AM Monday, police responded to reports of gunfire in the parking lot of Teto’s Cantina, the former Rancho Bravo restaurant at the corner of 10th and Pine across from Cal Anderson Park.
Arriving officers searched the lot before reporting a woman down at the scene and at least one person taken into custody amid crowds of people in the neighborhood during Pride festivities, according to East Precinct radio updates.
Seattle Fire was called to the scene but reported the victim had died of [their] injuries. UPDATE: “Crews attempted lifesaving efforts for an adult [person] but were unsuccessful,” SFD reports. “[They were] declared deceased at the scene.”
Homicide detectives were called the scene. Police were collecting evidence including video from the scene as E Pine was closed to traffic during the response. Police were also continuing to search for possible suspects reported leaving the scene. There were no additional reported arrests.
The Seattle Police Department has not provided details of the shooting or confirmed the killing. Q13 and KING are also reporting the deadly shooting but providing an E Pike location that differs from overnight emergency radio updates.
Kenji’s Black Trans life mattered and we mourn the absences and the invisibility of what we can not know. We mourn the silence of her story that has taken 18 days to reach our community. We mourn the ways gun violence took a 23 year old’s life, full of promise, and we bear the weight of knowing these tragedies are not Washington state specific.
When Kenji’s former teacher Malia Burns says, “Kenji was a bright light in our lives, known for an infectious smile and quick wit. Kenji had an extraordinary ability to uplift everyone around with laughter, a joke, a song, or a dance.”, we know Kenji was a ki. Though many of us have not met Kenji in the flesh, we feel the power of her light even through photos and the stories shared by her loved ones.
We know that young people, especially Black trans young people are the key to overturning a world riddled with anti-Blackness, transphobia, misogynoir, and premature death. So we honor the lives Kenji’s touched, and we grieve the future possibilities of the new world Kenji may have ushered us into if given the opportunity at life.
Many of us dream of the PNW to be a safe haven, of care and refuge for Black trans life, and we hope that it will one day become that for all our community. Rest well, Kenji.
Kenji's Instagram profile is https://www.instagram.com/kenjispurgeon/.
https://www.advocate.com/crime/black-transgender-woman-killed-seattle
https://www.capitolhillseattle.com/2024/07/woman-reported-dead-in-capitol-hill-parking-lot-shooting/
https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/incident/2955752
https://www.instagram.com/p/C9nVCnOS5tW/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaCNpyRFuek
M. Tapia
Age 5223 Jun 2024
Denver, Colorado (USA)
Shot
TDoR list ref: tgeu/tdor2024/16-Jun-2024/M. Tapia
M. was shot in the street by police officers after she approached them while carrying a knife. The circumstances suggest her death may have been a "suicide by cop".
Two weeks after Denver Police shot and killed 52-year-old [deadname] Tapia, who was threatening officers with a knife, investigators know little more than Tapia's name and age.
“I do want to acknowledge the tragedy of the death,” said Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas at a press briefing Tuesday. “And also our significant regret at the fact that despite significant efforts to try to identify next of kin, we've not been able to make a family notification as we would've liked and so those efforts will continue.”
Tapia, a trans woman, spoke Spanish, at one point telling the officers something.“I think translated to mean ‘kill me,’” according to Thomas.
“I don’t think that we’ll ever know what their desire was in that situation,” said Thomas, who referred to Tapia using they/them pronouns. “But certainly the presence of the knife, the proximity that that individual got to those officers with the knife, I think makes their response appropriate.”
A timeline of the shooting
At around 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, June 16, reports came in to police about a person blocking traffic in the area of Broadway and Lawrence Street. A Denver Park Ranger at the scene called police at 11:45 a.m., reporting that the person was armed with an 8-inch knife and refusing to get out of the road. Officers quickly responded and found Tapia, and positioned their patrol cars to divert traffic.
The encounter, captured on body camera, lasted only seconds. One officer told Tapia to put their hands on their head at least three times. Tapia then pulled out a large knife from a bag and advanced quickly towards the officer. A second officer gave commands in Spanish.
Two officers deployed their Tasers. One of the officers deployed his Taser twice.
As Tapia got closer with the knife drawn, both officers opened fire — 12 shots in all, and Tapia fell motionless into the street. Police rendered aid to Tapia after the shooting, and an ambulance arrived quickly, but Tapia was pronounced dead at the scene.
https://yellowscene.com/2024/06/29/denver-police-officers-kill-trans-woman-one-week-before-pride/
https://www.9news.com/article/news/local/denver-shooting-broadway-lawrence/73-289627f7-69b6-4a2b-96ff-74a219d85d06 [Archive: https://archive.ph/yo5Wg]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWIL0mA6vTE
Pauly Likens
Age 1423 Jun 2024
Sharpsville, Pennsylvania (USA)
Stabbed and dismembered
TDoR list ref: tgeu/tdor2024/23-Jun-2024/Pauly Likens
Pauly's dismembered remains were found in trash bags near a lake three days after going missing. An autopsy revealed her cause of death to have been multiple sharp force injuries.
DaShawn Watkins, 29, of Sharon, PA has been charged with first-degree murder, aggravated assault, abuse of a corpse and tampering with physical evidence.
Pauly Likens was a 14 year old trans girl, born and raised in Sharon, Pennsylvania. She went missing on June 22, 2024. Pauly was killed on June 23, 2024. Her parents reported her missing on June 25, 2024. Her death by murder was announced on July 3, 2024.
Likens was reported missing to the Sharon Police Department at about 2:30 p.m. June 25. Later that evening, the Hermitage Police Department responded to a report of dismembered human remains being found near the Golden Run Wildlife Area at the lake, near Clark.
The investigation was referred to the State Police. Over the course of the next week, more dismembered human remains were discovered in multiple areas surrounding the lake, according to a press release from the state police barracks in Mercer.
The State Police were also seen using an underwater drone to search the Shenango River near the Budd Street Bridge in downtown Sharon on June 27.
On Wednesday, July 3, police confirmed that these remains belonged to Pauly, notified her family, and arrested DaShawn Watkins, 29, of Sharon. Watkins was charged with first-degree murder, aggravated assault, abuse of a corpse and tampering with physical evidence, according to court documents. He was arraigned and is being held without bail in the Mercer County Jail.
Pauly liked dogs and other animals and followed several pages dedicating to doing community works. A candlelight vigil was held for her on Saturday 13th July 2024.
Watkins is due to go to trial in July 2025.
https://www.wfmj.com/story/52144707/trial-date-set-for-suspect-in-murder-of-transgender-sharon-teen
https://www.advocate.com/news/pennsylvania-transgender-hate-crimes-law
https://community.triblive.com/c/murrysville-star/news/e97b06170e06508e137f722b289de84a
https://www.autostraddle.com/trans-teen-pauly-likens-murder-haunts-her-rural-pennsylvania-community/
https://www.newsweek.com/missing-teen-dead-pauly-likens-dashawn-watkins-1923971
https://www.pghlesbian.com/2024/07/more-information-and-questions-on-the-murder-of-pauly-likens/
https://www.metroweekly.com/2024/07/pennsylvania-man-charged-with-dismembering-trans-14-year-old/
https://www.inquirer.com/news/pennsylvania/pauly-likens-murder-sharon-pennsylvania-20240710.html
https://www.tampafp.com/pennsylvania-man-charged-with-brutal-murder-and-dismemberment-of-trans-teen/
https://www.wytv.com/news/local-news/bishop-pens-letter-on-local-teenagers-murder/amp/
https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/07/10/pauly-likens-father-trans-teen/
https://www.insideedition.com/pauly-likens-transgender-pennsylvania-murder
https://www.theblaze.com/news/pa-trans-grinder-kill-dismember
https://6abc.com/post/pauly-likens-murder-family-sharon-pa-dashawn-watkins-arrest/15046603/
https://abc7chicago.com/post/pauly-liken-murder-sharon-pa-dashawn-watkins/15045631/
https://www.them.us/story/pauly-likens-trans-teen-remains-found-pennsylvania
https://www.nbcnews.com/video/vigil-planned-for-murdered-pennsylvania-transgender-teen-214496837604
https://www.wfla.com/news/national/father-of-murdered-trans-teen-pauly-likens-speaks-out/
https://www.wkbn.com/news/local-news/sharon-news/why-did-this-happen-community-remembers-local-teen/
https://www.washingtonblade.com/2024/07/08/western-pa-transgender-girl-killed-dismembered/
https://www.advocate.com/crime/transgender-teen-murdered-dismembered-pennsylvania
https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/07/08/pauly-likens-trans-teen-14-year-old/
https://www.aol.com/news/suspect-charged-grisly-murder-dismembered-024002529.html?guccounter=1
https://www.erienewsnow.com/story/51004729/people-from-erie-to-attend-vigil-for-trans-murder-victim
https://6abc.com/post/pauly-liken-murder-sharon-pa-dashawn-watkins/15043463/
https://www.yahoo.com/news/mercer-county-da-doesn-t-204519812.html
https://www.wfmj.com/story/50992569/community-support-for-murdered-sharon-teen-and-family
https://epgn.com/2024/07/05/western-pennsylvania-trans-girl-killed-dismembered/
https://www.erienewsnow.com/story/50994695/missing-teen-from-mercer-county-found-dead
https://www.pghlesbian.com/2024/07/14-year-old-trans-girl-brutally-murdered-in-western-pennsylvania/
https://abcnews.go.com/US/video/community-mourns-trans-teen-killed-pride-month-111759006
https://www.gofundme.com/f/pauly-likens-memorial-fund
https://x.com/Kaylara0wl/status/1808715310284861667
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T8XqH5UhPA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfAKEQw-2No
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrjixkmldWY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_Kzsc86UME
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y51nHE5OZRQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1012oStNFmU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3EqeqxW3dQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qd7NFmG58OY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DLTSYGF3Ps
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9l2y5TUpBZQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSG2D98WW7M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nobOu8HOFXI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3xmpllzPrw
Liara Kaylee Tsai
Age 3522 Jun 2024
Minneapolis, Minnesota (USA)
Stabbed
TDoR list ref: tgeu/tdor2024/22-Jun-2024/Liara Kaylee Tsai
Liara's body was found in the back seat of her car. Her ex-partner has been charged with second degree murder and interference with/concealing a dead body.
IOWA CITY, Iowa — An Iowa City woman was found dead in her car, being driven by her ex-partner, in Minnesota over the weekend.
Margot Lewis, a 32-year-old from North Liberty, is being charged with second-degree murder and interference with/and concealing a dead body.
Investigators believe Lewis stabbed and killed Liara Tsai at her apartment before she ended up in the back seat of her own car.
People in Iowa City honored Tsai by holding a remembrance event at Gabe's downtown on Thursday night.
Gabe's is a big live music venue, so loved ones said it's fitting to honor Tsai's legacy there.
Tsai recently moved from Iowa City to Minneapolis, hoping to broaden her career as a music producer and DJ in the twin cities.
In fact, friends said she'd just been booked for her biggest gig ever. But she never got to play that show.
Now, those who knew Tsai are in shock at the 35-year-old's sudden and violent death.
The trans community is mourning the loss, calling Tsai an incredible artist, fearless and unmasked. Many said Tsai's strength as a trans woman was an inspiration to the trans community.
Liara's Twitter and Facebook profiles are https://x.com/vutall and https://www.facebook.com/vutall/.
https://www.them.us/story/liara-kaylee-tsai-trans-woman-dj-found-dead-minnesota
https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2024/06/trans-womans-body-found-wrapped-in-bloody-bedsheets/
https://www.metroweekly.com/2024/07/trans-dj-liara-tsai-found-murdered-wrapped-in-bloody-sheets/
https://www.advocate.com/crime/liara-tsai-transgender-woman-killed
https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/07/01/trans-liara-tsai-murder-charged-iowa/
https://www.metroweekly.com/2024/07/trans-dj-liara-tsai-found-murdered-wrapped-in-bloody-sheets/
https://x.com/dimensionhatros/status/1805604778208006157
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7D9zgmL-Hg
Lynn Ann Conway
Age 86 (born 2 Jan 1938)9 Jun 2024
Jackson, Michigan (USA)
Natural causes
Lynn was an electronic engineer and computer scientist without whose pioneering work the computer and electronic revolutions of the 1980s would probably not have been possible.
After IBM fired her for advising them of her intention to transition in 1968, she transitioned, started a new career and, with Carver Mead, wrote the book Introduction to VLSI systems in 1978. This led to what is now known as the Mead-Conway VLSI chip design revolution.
After Lynn retired in 1999 she came out publicly and became one of the most visible trans people in the USA. Her empathy, creativity, strength and leadership made her a role model for many trans people worldwide. [including myself - when I came out in 2001, Lynn was one of my role models - Editor]
Lynn Ann Conway was an electrical engineer, computer scientist, and an activist on behalf of transgender people. She died in Jackson, Michigan on Sunday, June 9, 2024 of heart trouble.
Lynn was born in Mount Vernon, New York on January 2, 1938. She was a reserved but exceptionally bright student who attended MIT but did not graduate due [to] a difficult and ultimately unsuccessful gender transition. Conway continued education at Columbia University, where she earned B.S. and M.S.E.E. degrees in 1962 and 1963, respectively. In 1964, Conway accepted a position as a researcher at IBM’s facility in Yorktown Heights, New York. There, Conway worked with others on an advanced supercomputer project. Conway was fired in 1968 when it became known that she intended to transition. IBM later apologized for that action.
That same year, Lynn consulted Dr. Harry Benjamin and became a patient. She completed her gender transition, also in 1968. In a divorce, she was denied the right to visit with her minor children.
Using her new name, Lynn continued work as a computer research scientist, working at Computer Applications, Inc., Memorex, and, Xerox PARC, and DARPA. In 1985, she became a professor of electrical engineering and computer science at the University of Michigan and, simultaneously, Associate Dean of Engineering.
Lynn’s post-transition accomplishments were foundational in the [development] of computers, but her pre-transition work was not credited to her until 1998, when a researcher who was examining IBM’s three-decades old supercomputer project discovered that a scientist he had been unable to identify had become known as Lynn Conway. For Lynn, this resulted in a difficult decision to come out as transgender. She has since been hailed not only for her myriad post-transition accomplishments, but for her earlier work. She is famous for, among many other things, launching the Mead-Conway VLSI chip design revolution.
Lynn was well-known in transgender circles for her accomplishments and for her website, on which she told her personal story and worked to advance the rights of transgender people. She is perhaps best known in this regard for her criticism of Ray Blanchard’s theory of autogynephilia and a failed lawsuit, with Dierdre McCloskey, against J. Michael Bailey author of The Man Who Would be Queen.
In 2002, Lynn married her long-time boyfriend Charles Rogers. They lived on a 24-acre wooded property in rural Michigan.
Even if one were to ignore Lynn's technical achievements, the contents of her website alone were enormously impactful at the beginning of the 21st century, containing as it does not only many detailed resources for trans people, but also gallery/biography pages ("Transsexual Women's Successes" and "Successful TransMen: Links and Photos") which for the first time illustrated the breadth, variety and creativity of our community.
In a world before social media, that alone was incredibly impactful as the contents of such pages directly challenged the media stereotypes of trans people prevalent at the time.
Lynn's website is http://ai.eecs.umich.edu/people/conway/. Her Facebook profile is https://www.facebook.com/lynn.conway.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/obituaries/2024/06/13/lynn-conway-dead/
https://www.aol.com/news/io-dodds-why-losing-trans-205514342.html
https://www.sparkfun.com/news/7203
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynn_Conway
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40648470
http://www.myhusbandbetty.com/wordPressNEW/2024/06/11/lynn-conway-january-2-1938-june-9-2024/
https://500queerscientists.com/lynn-conway/
https://www.invent.org/inductees/lynn-conway
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeremyalicandri/2020/11/18/ibm-apologizes-for-firing-computer-pioneer/
https://www.transgendermap.com/people/lynn-conway/
https://computerhistory.org/profile/lynn-conway/
https://computerhistory.org/profile/lynn-conway/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mw2jAZmnIqU
Joshua Kimo Rainforest Laranang-Mellor Jr ("Rain")
Age 3117 May 2024
Denver, Colorado (USA)
Suicide
Rain died by suicide. Xe was a talented artist, musician and animator who was fiercely loved by family and friends.
Joshua Kimo "Rain" Forest Laranang-Mellor Jr. was born on July 20, 1992 in Honolulu, HI. [Xe] passed away on May 17, 2024 in Denver, CO at the age of 31.
Rain was a most prolific artist and musician, creating countless artworks and musical compositions over the span of [xir] lifetime from a very young age. [Xe] was also an astute animator. Rain deeply loved [xir] family and friends and was fiercely loved in return.
One of Rain's artworks
Xe's been a musician, so we thought it best to use the lyrics to one of xer public-facing songs as a quote
This is xer song "Night Owl"
*** loose within I got lost; I got blindsided What's up with him? It gets under my skin and I'm waiting to get wise :|| ** aimless within I got lost and I rolled with it What's that she said? It's planted in my head and I'm waiting to get wise :|| so much love I'll never know, again I'm feeling so tired of all the rest of mindful breathing It's just a moment with all that pails to notice Now figures slip and storm the sense.
Rain's SoundCloud is https://soundcloud.com/kahl-hertz.
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/joshua-forest-laranang-mellor-obituary?id=55159808
Michelle Henry
Age 2515 May 2024
San Francisco, California (USA)
Stabbed and strangled
TDoR list ref: tgeu/tdor2024/15-May-2024/Michelle Henry
Michelle died after being stabbed and strangled during an argument in a residence. Raymani Yuhashi, 33, was arrested and charged with her killing.
San Franciscans are mourning the death of Michelle Henry, a 25-year-old transgender woman who died May 15 after being strangled and stabbed.
Police responded that afternoon to a report of a fight between two people in a home, according to The Bay Area Reporter. They found Henry lying on the ground. She had been stabbed multiple times. Paramedics attempted to revive her, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police arrested Raymani Yuhashi, 33. She is charged with “the unlawful killing of a human being with malice aforethought,” as a San Francisco Police Department report puts it.
San Francisco’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner “has certified the manner of death as homicide and cause of the death as ‘asphyxia due to neck compression’ with a significant contributor of ‘multiple sharp force injuries,’” Executive Director David Serrano Sewell told the Reporter.
Henry had been involved in the SF LGBT Center’s youth program. “Michelle was a ray of light for our team and so many others she connected with over the last two years at the center,” Executive Director Rebecca Rolfe told the publication. “Her warmth and presence were felt in every room she walked in. She was kind, deeply caring, courageous, and fearless. Michelle’s death is a profound loss for our community. There are no words to fully convey what we are collectively feeling right now — our grief is immense. We want to thank those who cherished Michelle, and our hearts are with all who had the opportunity to truly know, love, and care for her.”
“At 25, she had her whole life to look forward to,” noted an Instagram post from the city’s Transgender District. “She was a friend to everyone and always willing to help out another. Such a beautiful soul that was taken from us too soon.”
Some of Henry’s friends believe her killing was a hate crime, but police and prosecutors have not so far classified it as such.
https://gaycitynews.com/several-transgender-people-killed-may/
https://www.them.us/story/michelle-henry-trans-san-francisco-killed
https://www.advocate.com/crime/transgender-woman-michelle-henry-killed
https://www.ebar.com/story.php?ch=news&sc=crime&id=333324
Niomi Jenkins
7 May 2024
San Francisco, California (USA)
Not reported
Niomi passed away on or shortly before Wednesday 8th May. No other information is known.
Niomi's Facebook and Instagram profiles are https://www.facebook.com/niomi.earvinjenkins and https://www.instagram.com/niomi415/.
https://www.instagram.com/graceflawrence/p/C6sjgEDOLIy/
https://www.instagram.com/tgijusticeproject/p/C7PU24tp5I_/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1629533991219451/
Tayy Dior Thomas
Age 177 May 2024
Mobile, Alabama (USA)
Shot
TDoR list ref: tgeu/tdor2024/7-May-2024/Tayy Dior Thomas
Tayy died after being shot multiple times, allegedly by Carl Mitchell Washington Jr., 20.
Family members believe that he killed Tayy out of fear that their relationship would be made public.
...Tuesday, May 7, 2024, police in Mobile, Alabama responded to reports of gunfire at the 1600 block of Darwood Drive around 3:30 a.m. Later that day, police arrested Carl Mitchell Washington Jr., 20, of Mobile. According to court paperwork, Washington fired 18 shots at the 17-year-old victim, Tay Dior.
Tay was born and raised in Mobile. She had a twin brother and two other siblings. She worked at AMC Theaters. Her friends are posting countless tributes. Her aunt claimed that with her “last breath she made sure to text her best friend who did it.” Tay’s family has established a crowdfund to help with her final expenses.
Tay was scheduled to graduate this week.
Tayy's Faceboook profile is https://www.facebook.com/tayy.lashayy.
https://gaycitynews.com/several-transgender-people-killed-may/
https://www.them.us/story/tayy-dior-thomas-trans-woman-killed-alabama
https://www.advocate.com/crime/transgender-teen-tayy-thomas-killed-alabama
https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/05/24/tayy-dior-thomas-transgender-teenager-shot-dead-alabama/
https://www.fox10tv.com/2024/05/07/mobile-police-investigate-early-morning-homicide/
https://mynbc15.com/news/local/pre-dawn-shooting-man-found-dead-car-crashed-into-mobile-residence
https://www.gofundme.com/f/brandon-tay-diorthomas
Jazlynn Johnson
Age 18 (born 17 Nov 2005)6 May 2024
Las Vegas, Nevada (USA)
Shot
TDoR list ref: tgeu/tdor2024/6-May-2024/Jazlynn Johnson
Jazlynn was found shot to death inside a car in Las Vegas, Nevada. A 17-year-old male suspect was arrested and charged with open murder in connection with her death.
The Clark County coroner’s office on Thursday identified a teenager found shot to death inside a car parked in a central valley neighborhood early Monday.
She was Jazlynn Johnson, an 18-year-old trans woman, according to the coroner’s office, which ruled that her death was a result of a homicide.
The Metropolitan Police Department said a 17-year-old boy “intentionally” shot Johnson. He was jailed on a murder count, police said.
Authorities generally don’t identify minor suspects unless and until they’re charged as adults.
Police said the suspect’s father called police shortly after 4 a.m. to report that his son had shot a friend.
Johnson was found in the 1600 block of East St. Louis Avenue, near Maryland Parkway.
Police have not released additional details.
https://www.hrc.org/news/remembering-jazlynn-johnson-trans-teen-killed-in-nevada
https://www.metroweekly.com/2024/05/17-year-old-faces-murder-charges-for-shooting-trans-friend/
https://www.them.us/story/jazlynn-johnson-trans-teen-death-alaska-las-vegas
https://www.advocate.com/crime/trans-teen-jazlynn-johnson-killed
https://www.fox5vegas.com/2024/05/07/17-year-old-arrested-deadly-shooting-near-downtown-las-vegas/
https://www.inspiredlifememorials.com/obituaries/jazlynn-johnson-2024
Kita Bee
Age 463 May 2024
Kansas City, Missouri (USA)
Hit and run
TDoR list ref: tgeu/tdor2024/3-May-2024/Kita Bee
Kita died in a hit and run incident involving two drivers. Her loved ones suspect someone may have pushed her into the road.
Around 9:20 p.m. on May 3, Kita Bee — a 46-year-old Black trans woman in Kansas City, Missouri — was killed in a hit-and-run by two vehicles; her loved ones suspect someone may have pushed her into the road, The Kansas City Star reported. Police have identified one of the drivers, but charges are pending.
Bee had only recently found stable housing and had been involved in another hit-and-run accidentally earlier this year, according to Kris Wade, executive director of the Justice Project, an organization that helps re-shelter women who have experienced violence. Kita used to teach other trans women how to survive and stay safe on the streets, according to KC Transformations, a local trans advocacy group.
Bee’s sister, Raynisha, called Bee “very bold in her personality,” according to one source, adding, “She was an all-around entertainer. She loved to sing, dance, perform to make you happy, smile, or laugh.” Wade said of Bee, “She was in her full authentic persona all the time, and that takes guts when you’re a trans person. Especially a trans woman of color.”
KC Transformations raised money for Bee’s memorial service. Her cremated remains will be spread into the ocean.
Over the previous five years, several transgender and gender non-conforming people have been murdered in the Kansas City area, including (but not limited to):
-
Amber Minor, who was shot and killed last Christmas Eve in Raytown.
-
Aerrion Burnett, who was shot and killed in east Kansas City in 2020.
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Brianna Hill, who was shot and killed in 2019 in Kansas City, Missouri.
https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2024/05/four-young-trans-women-killed-in-senseless-murders-nationwide/
https://www.advocate.com/crime/transgender-woman-killed-kita-bee
https://www.aol.com/news/second-driver-found-hit-run-235354360.html
https://www.them.us/story/kita-bee-kansas-city-black-trans-icon-killed
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/second-driver-found-hit-run-235354149.html
https://www.pghlesbian.com/2024/05/black-trans-woman-victim-of-fatal-hit-and-run/
https://www.hrc.org/news/remembering-kita-bee-trans-woman-killed-in-a-hit-and-run
https://news.yahoo.com/news/east-kc-hit-run-victim-022546736.html
https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article288367495.html
https://twitter.com/LGBTQCommission/status/1787538620343079364
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Q4fZxhhX_c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXvO4GUup8Y
Darri Moore
Age 231 May 2024
Ste. Genevieve, Missouri (USA)
Not reported
TDoR list ref: tgeu/tdor2024/1-May-2024/Darri Moore
Darri's body was found in the Mississippi River. The cause of her death is not known, but according to investigators "foul play has been ruled out"'
ST. GENEVIEVE, Mo. (First Alert 4) -A transgender woman from St. Louis has been identified as the victim whose body was discovered along the Mississippi River.
“She was not by herself. She loved herself too much to walk out on that river,” says childhood friend, Izzy Baker.
The body of 23-year-old Darri Moore’s was recovered after police responded to a call from Tower Rock Stone in St. Genevieve. Employees working along the water found the body on May 1.
Investigators tell First Alert 4, Darri’s body was so badly decomposed the autopsy results could not determine the cause of death. A spokesman says foul play has been ruled out. Detectives are in need of the public’s help to prevent the case from going cold.
“I just hate that her mother doesn’t have any answers. Her father doesn’t have any answers. Her sister doesn’t have any answers. I don’t have any answers,” says Baker.
A GoFundMe has been set up for funeral expenses. Baker hopes it raises awareness about the dangers those who identify as transgender face.
“Somebody knows and they’re not telling us. I just pray and hope that someone comes forward to tell us what happened.”
Anyone aware of Darri Moore’s whereabouts or who was with Darri leading up to the disappearance is urged to call the St. Genevieve County Sheriff’s Office at (573) 883-5820. Anonymous tips can be made through CrimeStoppers at (866) 371-8477.
“She has a story and I want her story to be heard,” Baker said.
At the time her body was found Darri was thought to may have been in the river for at least a week.
Darri's Facebook profile is https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100093521559914.
https://gaycitynews.com/several-transgender-people-killed-may/
https://www.them.us/story/darri-moore-black-trans-woman-missouri
https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2024/05/trans-woman-darri-moore-found-dead-along-the-mississippi-river/
https://www.advocate.com/news/trans-woman-darri-moore-death
https://www.yahoo.com/news/mystery-deepens-unsolved-death-trans-021240682.html
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1570448163283501/posts/3725256784469284/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLL46a-f7qk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdVP1d8OHPo
Allister Matthews
Age 17 (born 9 Dec 2006)29 Apr 2024
Lockport, Illinois (USA)
Suicide
Allister died by suicide. According to his best friend his family were supportive of his transition and he used both his birth and chosen names.
Alliser's pronouns were he/they/she.
Allister Matthews - Lockport, IL Born: December 9th, 2006 Passed Away: April 29th, 2024 Allister tragically died by suicide on April 29th, 2024. He was 17 years old. Few details are known regarding Allister's passing.
His best friend said this of him:
"There are so many things that I could tell the world about Allister Matthews. I could tell you how he was never afraid to be himself. I could tell you how unapologetically unique he was from the way he dressed to the way he spoke. I could tell you how he had freckles on his cheeks and the bridge of his nose like little stars that I'd give tiny kisses to just to see him smile. I could tell you how he saw value in every life, no matter how small."
His obituary uses his birthname and pronouns.
Source: email
Andrea Doria Dos Passos
Age 3723 Apr 2024
Miami, Florida (USA)
Beaten
TDoR list ref: tgeu/tdor2024/23-Apr-2024/Andrea Doria Dos Passos
Andrea was beaten to death with a metal pipe while she slept on the street.
Gregory Gilbert, 53, was arrested hours later and faces charges of second degree murder.
Andrea Doria Dos Passos, 37, a transgender woman who was experiencing homelessness, was found beaten to death Tuesday outside the Miami City Ballet building in Miami Beach, Fla.
The attack on Dos Passos was caught on surveillance video and led to the arrest of Gregory Fitzgerald Gibert, 53, who is charged with second-degree murder, the Miami Herald reports.
An employee of the ballet company found Dos Passos lying on the ground about 7 a.m. Tuesday. The worker initially thought she was sleeping, then saw that she was surrounded by blood and called police.
Surveillance video showed a man beating her with a pipe, and police matched the description to Gibert, who was on probation on charges including aggravated assault with no intent to kill and attempted robbery with a weapon. He had been sentenced to four years of probation on the charges just six days before the attack on Dos Passos.
Police said they do not consider Dos Passos’s death a hate crime, but some are calling for prosecutors to add a hate-crime enhancement to the charges against Gibert. “We have no evidence indicating that she was targeted solely based on her sexuality and/or gender,” Officer Christopher Bess, a police spokesman, told the Herald.
Andrea had transitioned in October 2023. According to Andrea's grandfather she struggled with mental illness and had been homeless for some time.
A memorial for Andrea was held outside Pridelines’ Miami Beach location at 1130 Washington Avenue shortly after her killing.
https://www.newsweek.com/harrowing-footage-released-trans-woman-beaten-death-miami-1906772
https://www.metroweekly.com/2024/05/trans-woman-murdered-while-sleeping-outside-miami-city-ballet/
https://www.washingtonblade.com/2024/04/29/homeless-transgender-woman-murdered-in-miami-beach/
https://flvoicenews.com/miami-dade-lgbtq-caucus-blames-florida-gop-for-trans-murder-in-miami-beach/
https://www.them.us/story/andrea-doria-dos-passos-unhoused-trans-woman-killed-miami-beach
https://web.archive.org/web/20240501221711/https://www.edgemedianetwork.com/story/332901
https://www.elnuevoherald.com/noticias/florida/sur-de-la-florida/article288158300.html
https://news.eseuro.com/trends/3381412.html
https://www.elnuevoherald.com/noticias/crimen/article288026005.html
https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/video/mom-of-killed-transgender-woman-speaks-out/
https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/04/25/man-arrest-trans-woman-beaten-florida/
https://www.elnuevoherald.com/noticias/florida/sur-de-la-florida/article288016400.html
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/crime/article287983825.html
https://news.eseuro.com/trends/3377130.html
https://2001online.com/sucesos/arrestan-a-sospechoso-por-muerte-de-mujer-transgenero-en-miami-beach/
https://www.elnuevoherald.com/noticias/crimen/article287974465.html
https://www.aol.com/miami-man-allegedly-murdered-trans-011019053.html
https://au.news.yahoo.com/man-arrested-homeless-transgender-woman-224647219.html
https://www.advocate.com/crime/transgender-woman-killed-miami-beach
https://www.aol.com/news/man-arrested-connection-death-trans-230849359.html
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/miami-beach/article287994140.html
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/crime/article287969500.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nd9S51RU4t4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXX11E4b6wk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXsNlMZtrP4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAe7_g_GfoM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0R1OKt5bAuA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wuvmyq73qQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0WWVLlU9fE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FDaAvunBFk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTd6OKBkGCU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9aS7T4uvsE
Starr Brown
Age 2819 Apr 2024
Memphis, Tennessee (USA)
Shot
TDoR list ref: tgeu/tdor2024/19-Apr-2024/Starr Brown
Starr's body was found in her car several hours after she had been seen leaving work with a co-worker. He confessed to shooting her.
Starr Brown, a Black transgender woman, was shot and killed in Tennessee last month, and a coworker has reportedly confessed to the crime.
Police in Memphis say Brown was murdered in the early morning hours of April 19 after she finished her work shift at Checkers, a drive-thru fast-food establishment, according to local CBS affiliate WREG. She was seen on video driving away in her Pontiac G3 with coworker Alexander Williamson, 20, just after 2:30 a.m. Brown’s body was discovered in her car several hours later in a wooded area on Rolling Woods Drive. She suffered a single gunshot wound to her left side.
On April 28, Williamson voluntarily walked into a police station and confessed to the crime, local Fox affiliate WHBQ-TV reported. He reportedly gave a full confession, but police provided no information about a possible motive or why he decided to confess.
Brown is the 11th known trans individual to die violently this year and the second known Black trans woman to be killed, according to the Human Rights Campaign.
Brown was a victim of violence last year when shot while waiting for an Uber after work on October 18. She was accosted by two men around 3 a.m. She was able to use mace on the man with a gun, but he wiped his face and shot her in the leg. She later told local ABC affiliate WATN-TV she felt lucky that the man didn’t shoot her in the back as she fled.
This is not the first time Williamson has been charged with murder. He was arrested in 2022 along with his brothers Artavious, 23, and Ajaylin. 22, for the shooting death of a man who had been in an earlier dispute with Artvavious. He reportedly returned with his brothers to the man’s Memphis home where he shot and killed him after challenging him to a fist fight, WHBQ-TV reported at the time. Williamson, then 19, was charged with second-degree murder.
https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/05/09/starr-brown-trans-killing-memphis-tennessee/
https://www.pghlesbian.com/2024/05/black-trans-woman-starr-brown-killed-by-coworker-in-memphis/
https://www.them.us/story/starr-brown-black-trans-woman-killed-memphis
https://www.yahoo.com/news/starr-brown-black-trans-woman-172025361.html
https://www.advocate.com/crime/starr-brown-transgender-woman-killed
https://twitter.com/MEM_PoliceDept/status/1781362727681716432
https://www.instagram.com/p/C6FHcKrrDqi/
Basil Brown
Age 217 Apr 2024
Lafayette, Louisiana (USA)
Suicide
Basil was genderqueer and used they/them pronouns. After they died on their university campus the university was criticised for not looking after the mental health of students.
Basil Brown was a magnetic person. [Their] presence filled the room and could even make the biggest Debbie Downer smile.
It's what [their] friends and those who knew [them] remember most about the University of Louisiana at Lafayette student who died by suicide last week.
Those who interacted with Brown have only been able to recall positive experiences with the 22-year-old, said Malek Richard, who knew Brown through the UL band program.
Brown always “spoke up for the little guy,” Richard said, and was an advocate for the LGBTQ+ and disability communities.
Brown shined creatively. [They were] the “clarinet player with the fire fits,” a fellow band member told Richard about Brown and the outfits [they] would wear. [They] combined [their] knowledge of coding with his artistic eye to code a unique universe to life. It was [their] pride and joy.
But Brown’s friends have said they’ve barely had time to grieve. They’ve criticized the university for its handling of Brown’s death claiming it wasn’t transparent after Brown’s death leading to misinformation and more pain.
A group of about 200 students, staff and others gathered Monday afternoon near the UL student union to call on the university to change its welfare check protocol, update its emergency notification system, publicly acknowledge Brown's death and better staff its wellness center with more certified mental health personnel.
Had the system been different, if it were better structured to support those struggling, Brown’s friends said they wouldn’t have to shoulder the responsibility to call for change.
“If (Basil) had been taken care of properly, Basil wouldn’t be in the place [they were] in,” Richard said. “When someone is (in that) situation, they’re not thinking rationally. There has to be someone to make the grand decision of ‘what do you need right now?’ instead of ‘what do you want?’”
Basil's Instagram profile is https://www.instagram.com/8asil00.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C5adQu7OG1J/
River Neveah Goddard ("Phoenixx")
Age 175 Apr 2024
Stow, Massachusetts (USA)
Stabbed
TDoR list ref: tgeu/tdor2024/5-Apr-2024/River Neveah Goddard ("Phoenixx")
River died after being stabbed by their boyfriend.
Shane Curry, 20, was arrested and charged with assault and battery on a household or family member and assault and battery causing serious bodily injury. Curry had been diagnosed with schizophrenia in 2020.
Curry allegedly told police that he stabbed Goddard several times with a sword, according to Boston 25 News.
A non-binary teenager has been found dead, after being reported missing when they were 15.
The body of River Nevaeh Goddard, 17, was reportedly found by police in Stow, Massachusetts, on 3 April while responding to a welfare check request at the home of [their] boyfriend, Shane Curry.
Curry reportedly blocked the entrance to his home for more than two hours before authorities were able to gain access, and found Goddard’s body.
Curry, 20, was arrested and charged with assault and battery on a household or family member and assault and battery causing serious bodily injury. A not guilty plea was entered when he appeared at Concord District Court on Monday (22 April).
According to court paperwork, Curry was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 2020.
Goddard, who used both their chosen name, River, and birth name Nevaeh, went missing in April 2022.
According to GLAAD, Goddard used she/her and they/them pronouns and identified as pansexual.
https://www.advocate.com/crime/nonbinary-river-goddard-nevaeh-killed
https://www.them.us/story/river-nevaeh-goddard-nonbinary-teen-cuddly-nature-found-dead-shane-curry
https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/04/23/river-nevaeh-goddard-found-dead/
https://www.nigeriabombshell.com/shane-curry-stow/
https://glaad.org/remembering-river-neveah-goddard/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1570448163283501/posts/3704947399833556/
https://www.instagram.com/p/C6EVIfvtrib/
https://twitter.com/notisaidtheworm/status/1776969591417159782
https://www.gofundme.com/f/in-loving-memory-of-nevaeh-goddard
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRim1NmVApY
https://web.archive.org/web/20240407002506/https://www.missingkids.org/poster/NCMC/1448190/1
Tee Arnold ("Lagend Billions", "Ace")
Age 363 Apr 2024
Hallandale Beach, Florida (USA)
Shot
TDoR list ref: tgeu/tdor2024/3-Apr-2024/Tee "Lagend Billions" Arnold
Tee died after being shot outside a shopping and entertainment complex. He had previously posted that his life was in danger.
Tee Arnold, a 36-year-old Black transgender man, has died of a gunshot wound he suffered early in the morning of April 3 at a shopping and entertainment complex in Hallandale Beach, Fla.
Police were called to the Village at Gulfstream Park about 1:30 a.m. and found Arnold had been shot, TV station WPLG reports. He was taken to HCA Florida Aventura Hospital, where he died April 7.
Arnold had posted on social media that his life was in danger. Hallandale Beach police are looking for a woman suspect who was known to Arnold. “We don’t believe this was a hate crime,” Capt. Aaron Smith told the station. “When we have incidents like this, we do our very best and we do everything to keep our community safe.”
Arnold was also known as Lagend Billions. His family and friends paid tribute in social media posts, noting his supportive nature. “I thank you for always answering the phone when I was lost, for never being afraid to tell me when I’m wrong, telling me to pray when I was weak, always offering words of encouragement,” friend Cece Gates wrote on Facebook.
“Thank you for blessing the world with your greatness, laughter, and good energy,” Gates added. “Thank you for showing the world that there is nothing better than being your true authentic self.”
Lagend's Facebook profile is https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100095385220690.
https://www.advocate.com/crime/reward-florida-police-hunt-tee-arnold-killer
https://www.them.us/story/tee-arnold-black-trans-man-killed-miami
https://gaycitynews.com/answers-sought-death-of-black-trans-man-in-florida/
https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/04/19/black-trans-man-tee-lagend-billons-arnold-killed-in-florida/
https://www.yahoo.com/news/trans-man-tee-arnold-shot-164147963.html
https://www.advocate.com/crime/black-trans-man-killed-florida
https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/transgender-man-dies-gulfstream-park-shooting/3279477/
https://twitter.com/HallandaleBchPD/status/1775484776234750315
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1570448163283501/posts/3702360026758960/?comment_id=3705546653106964
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTlqajC_0sE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcoYs33eQhU
Yella Clark
Age 452 Apr 2024
Angola, Louisiana (USA)
Killed In custody
TDoR list ref: tgeu/tdor2024/2-Apr-2024/Yella (Robert) Clark Jr.
Yella died after an altercation with three other inmates.
Yella, a 45-year-old Black transgender person, who was serving a life sentence at Angola prison in Louisiana, was killed in a fight with several other inmates on April 2, 2024. Their death is at least the 16th violent killing of a transgender or gender expansive person HRC has learned of in 2024, and the fifth to be killed in the month of April alone. We say “at least” because too often these deaths go unreported — or misreported. The Human Rights Campaign is deeply saddened to report on Yella’s passing.
With Yella, misreporting and misgendering in initial reports led to delays in HRC’s own reporting. Most articles referred to them with their birth name and sex assigned at birth, though evidence suggests Clark may have used both Yella and Robert (their birth name) in prison. They identified as transgender, had been diagnosed with gender dysphoria, and had begun taking female hormones to physically transition while incarcerated. We do not know which pronouns they used, or which name they preferred, but we will be using Yella and they/them pronouns throughout the rest of this blog.
A former fellow inmate said that Clark’s [gender identity] was something that made life more dangerous for Clark at Angola.
"You can be a target," they said. "That kind of thing can make things a little bit more dangerous for you."
The 2015 United States Transgender Survey found that transgender prisoners are five times more likely to be sexually assaulted by facility staff and over nine times more likely to be sexually assaulted by other inmates.
Yella was in Angola on a murder conviction which they were trying to have overturned. In an appeals court filing, they argued they were defending themselves from being raped and the killing was in self-defense.
https://www.hrc.org/news/honoring-yella-robert-clark-jr-transgender-inmate-killed-in-louisiana
Adrian Fox Bollinger ("Adri")
Age 20 (born 5 Dec 2003)28 Mar 2024
Saratoga Springs, New York (USA)
Overdose
Adri was a multi-media artist who used they/them pronouns and was "known to have the biggest heart and empathy that knew no bounds, for animals and people alike."
Adrian Fox Bollinger passed away on March 28", 2024. Adrian was born in Niskaruna New York on December 5, 2003 . Adrian grew up in Saratoga Springs and Corinth, New York. More recently Adrian spent time in Portland, Oregon and New Orleans, Louisiana.
Adrian was a student of life. Loved by many, [they were] an honest, compassionate and gentle soul. Adrian always put the needs of others before [their] own. Adrian enjoyed camping, exploring, writing, music, and was an exceptionally talented artist. Adrian worked in horticulture at Dean's florist, created artistic commissions and also assisted with animal rescue and rehab. Adrian was known to attend to possums found on the road and checked for living babies in the pouch.
Adri's Facebook profile is https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077752088067.
They published photos of their artworks to the Instagram account https://www.instagram.com/bugs.eating.roadkill.
https://www.mothefunerals.com/obituaries/adrian-bollinger
Meraxes Medina
Age 2420 Mar 2024
Los Angeles, California (USA)
Shot
TDoR list ref: tgeu/tdor2024/21-Mar-2024/Meraxes Medina
Meraxes was found dead in the street, after apparently being seen being dragged from a vehicle. A car was seen fleeing the scene.
LOS ANGELES – A trans woman found dead on a south Los Angeles street March 20th has been identified by her family.
Meraxes, 24, previously known as [deadname] Medina, was pronounced dead at the scene when discovered by authorities.
According to a GoFundMe established to assist her family, “a car was seen fleeing the area and surveillance camera video from a sports bar across the street, captured a light-colored sedan, with its lights off next to the parking lot of a high school.”
“At some point, a figure emerges and appears to drag her body onto the pavement before getting back into the car and driving off. She was laying there lifeless for several minutes in view of passing motorists before police even arrived on scene she didn’t deserve what happened to her. Way to many trans lives are being taken everyday and it’s not ok if you can help in anyways possible it is more than greatly appreciated.”
Los Angeles Police Department officers from the 77th Division were called at 8:50 p.m. March 20th to the 5800 block of south Hoover St. between Slauson Avenue and 59th Street where they found the victim in the street, according to an LAPD spokeswoman.
https://hispanicla.com/comunidad-lgbtq-somos-atacados-solo-por-ser-quienes-somos-94178
https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/04/10/meraxes-medina-death/
https://www.advocate.com/crime/transgender-latina-killed-los-angeles
https://www.them.us/story/meraxes-medina-24-year-old-latina-trans-woman-killed-los-angeles
https://www.hrc.org/news/honoring-meraxes-medina-young-trans-woman-killed-in-los-angeles
https://2urbangirls.com/2024/03/family-ids-trans-woman-found-dead-on-south-l-a-street/
https://www.instagram.com/lalgbtcenter/p/C489CwTvozU/
https://twitter.com/Kaylara0wl/status/1772715555767615795
Alex Taylor Franco
Age 2119 Mar 2024
Lehi, Utah (USA)
Shot
TDoR list ref: tgeu/tdor2024/17-Mar-2024/Alex Taylor Franco
Alex's body was found in wasteland. Three teenagers - aged 15, 17 and 17 - were arrested in connection with his death.
The body of Alex Franco, a 21-year-old atransgender man, was discovered in a desolate area near Lehi, Utah in the United States. Authorities suspect he died as the result of a gunshot wound, pending confirmation from a coroner’s report.
Taylorsville Police spearheaded the investigation, revealing that two teenagers aged 15 and 17 face multiple felony charges linked to what they’re treating as a potential homicide. They are both believed to be known to Alex.
Alex Franco had been reported missing, possibly abducted, on March 18. Witnesses reported seeing him entering a 2000s Jeep Liberty before hearing a gunshot and watching the vehicle speed away. His body was recovered the following day.
Video footage from the scene corroborated witness accounts, confirming the sound as a gunshot.
Authorities are actively seeking a third individual believed to have been in the vehicle. It’s suspected that Franco willingly entered the car, knowing at least one of its occupants. According to Franco’s girlfriend, Alyssa Henry, individuals described as “friends of friends” picked him up with plans to visit a park on Sunday afternoon.
In response to the devastating loss, Franco’s loved ones initiated a crowdfunding campaign to cover funeral expenses.
Their heartfelt message reads, “Alex’s death was unexpected, and we don’t have the funds we need to pay for his funeral… We love you so much Alex, we miss you. Fly high with the angels. Rest in paradise until we meet again.”
Alex had previously earned himself a college scholarship and had planned to attend Dixie State University.
He had recently been working as an apprentice on a construction site and posted regularly about the joys of his work and personal life.
https://www.advocate.com/crime/alex-franco-arrests-killing
https://gcn.ie/teenagers-charged-murder-trans-man-alex-franco/
https://www.pghlesbian.com/2024/03/trans-man-alex-franco-21-shot-to-death-in-utah/
https://www.losangelesblade.com/2024/03/22/21-year-old-trans-man-alex-franco-shot-to-death-in-utah/
https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/03/22/alex-franco/
https://www.them.us/story/alex-franco-trans-man-found-dead-in-utah-desert
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/alex-franco-21-trans-man-220840765.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzXlQBnlwSg
Diamond Brigman
Age 3616 Mar 2024
Houston, Texas (USA)
Shot
TDoR list ref: tgeu/tdor2024/16-Mar-2024/Diamond Cherish Brigman
Diamond was shot in the street by a man who pulled up alongside her in a vehicle. She died at the scene.
A courageous and compassionate witness stayed with a Black transgender woman who was fatally shot on a street in Houston on Saturday. Police are now asking for the public’s help identifying and apprehending the victim’s killer.
Diamond Brigman, 36, was found by police suffering from multiple gunshot wounds just after 1 a.m. in the 9200 block of Country Club Creek. She was later pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics called to the scene.
“The Houston Police Department (HPD) has launched an investigation thanks to crucial information from a courageous witness who stayed with Diamond until emergency services arrived,” HPD said in a statement released Tuesday.
Witnesses told investigators Brigman was standing by the side of the road when a white 2017 Chevrolet Malibu LT circled the area several times before it pulled up alongside her. A male passenger exited the car and fired multiple shots at Brigman before fleeing the scene in the vehicle, which was driven by another person.
Police believe they have recovered the vehicle used in the murder but are seeking the public’s help in identifying the shooter and those involved in the death of Brigman.
The suspect is described as standing 5 feet 5 inches tall, with a thin build, and wearing a gray hooded jacket.
In May 2024 Walter Daniel Saravia Palacios, 35, was arrested and charged with Diamond's murder.
A man was arrested on Tuesday in connection with the shooting death of a transgender woman killed in March in southwest Houston, according to the Houston Police Department.
Walter Daniel Saravia Palacios, 35, is charged with murder in the death of 36-year-old Diamond Brigman.
It happened on March 16 just before 1 a.m. on Country Creek Street. According to investigators, Palacios shot Brigman as she got out of his car. After she fell to the ground, he stood over her and fired more than 15 times.
We still don't know the motive.
Several people who witnessed the shooting called police and that helped homicide detectives identify Palacios. The victim's friends are grateful.
"I'm thankful for the people who followed him. I’m thankful for the people who took pictures of him and the people who had information about him," Verniss McFarland told us.
McFarland is the executive director of The Mahogany Project, a safe space offering resources to trans and queer people of color, where he said for years, Brigman found a place to belong.
"In the month that Diamond died, we experienced the attack of three trans people within our community," McFarland said.
According to the Human Rights Campaign, at least 32 people who identified as transgender were murdered in 2023. Eighty-four percent were people of color and 50% were Black trans women.
"Too many from the community are losing their lives to violence and these just aren’t numbers they’re people with dreams and families and the loss screams out for change," a close friend of Brigman's told us shortly after her death.
Now, they're hoping the arrest of Palacios will lead to justice.
"I would say it’s always hard when it comes to seeking justice of any kind, but especially cases like this," McFarland said.
Palacios is in jail right now being held on a $500,000 bond.
https://gaycitynews.com/several-transgender-people-killed-may/
https://hoodline.com/2024/05/houston-man-charged-in-fatal-march-shooting-of-transgender-woman/
https://www.them.us/story/diamond-brigman-black-trans-woman-killed-houston
https://www.advocate.com/crime/transgender-killing-houston-diamond-brigman
https://news.eseuro.com/local/3283816.html
https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2024/03/police-hunt-for-man-caught-on-video-shooting-down-a-trans-woman/
https://www.aol.com/news/houston-shooting-transgender-woman-fatally-233346030.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcDEM1FVNjQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lkv3l6F9rFA
Reyna Hernandez
Age 542 Mar 2024
Renton, Washiington (USA)
Shot
TDoR list ref: tgeu/tdor2024/2-Mar-2024/Reyna Hernandez
Reyna's body was found tied to a tree in Mexicali, Baja California (Mexico) on 2nd March. She had gone missing from her home in Renton on Monday 26th February.
On Saturday 9th March Reyna's husband Louie Hernández was detained by Mexican authorities.
Mexicali, BC. Tied hand and foot to a tree, the body of a transgender woman was located in the El Centinela pantheon in Mexicali.
The police report indicates that the victim was wrapped in a white blanket, has a tattoo of an apple on her right forearm and multiple signs of torture, especially on her swollen face and bruises throughout her abdomen.
At the scene where the victim was found, 15 gunshot cartridges with pink and green seals were scattered.
The discovery was made this Saturday morning in the cemetery located on the Mexicali-Tijuana highway near La Rosita.
The body was discovered by a man who went to the cemetery on Saturday morning, around 9 a.m., when he saw the wrapped body and where his face and long red hair were shown.
Later, forensic personnel confirmed that the victim was a transsexual woman.
At the time, the activist said in an interview that judges and public ministries act with pretenses of power and without gender perspective.
He said that the actions to comply with the gender alert were made visible but they remained on paper and are insufficient because a hostile environment towards women remains in the streets and femicides, murders of women and hate crimes due to discrimination continue. specifically those committed against the trans community.
Reyna was traveling with her husband, identified as Louie Hernández, although she frequently used the name Arthur Louis Hernández. The last time she was heard from the victim was when she was planning to meet with Louie to discuss the separation of assets; Since then, no more has been heard from her.
Louie Hernández was detained on March 9 by Mexican authorities at a military checkpoint in Baja California. During his arrest, a large sum of money, six wraps of fentanyl and firearm cartridges were confiscated. He was aboard a cherry-colored Ford vehicle, owned by his stepson, in which, apparently, he was seen with the victim.
Hernández, 61, was charged in May 2024.
https://zetatijuana.com/2024/03/reyna-hernandez-sigue-sin-ser-identificada-en-el-semefo/
https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/03/15/reyna-hernandez-death-mexico/
https://hiplatina.com/trans-latina-reyna-hernandez-dead-mexico/
https://zetatijuana.com/2024/03/reyna-hernandez-sigue-sin-ser-identificada-en-el-semefo/
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/reyna-hernandez-latina-trans-woman-173252828.html
https://plazadiversa.com/reyna-hernandez-mujer-trans-desaparecida-encontrada-muerta-en-mexico/
https://www.sinembargo.mx/13-03-2024/4475559
https://www.elimparcial.com/mxl/mexicali/2024/03/15/hallan-cuerpo-sin-vida-en-el-valle-de-mexicali/
https://www.telediario.mx/nacional/mujer-trans-desaparece-eu-aparece-muerta-mexicali
https://www.excelsior.com.mx/nacional/mujer-trans-desaparecida-eeuu-cementerio-mexicali/1640867
https://escandala.com/la-mujer-trans-cuyo-cuerpo-fue-abandonado-en-mexicali-era-de-estados-unidos/
https://escandala.com/siguen-sin-identificar-el-cuerpo-de-la-mujer-trans-asesinada-en-mexicali/
https://radarbc.com/general/identifican-a-mujer-trans-localizada-sin-vida-en-panteon-de-mexicali/
https://radarbc.com/general/un-detenido-por-homicidio-de-mujer-trans/
https://twitter.com/Kaylara0wl/status/1767418872255197505
https://twitter.com/Kaylara0wl/status/1767050331202936862
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npdnbsUgYaY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKVJ65yn8lY
Righteous Torrence "TK" Hill (Chevy)
Age 3529 Feb 2024
Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
Murdered
TDoR list ref: tgeu/tdor2024/28-Feb-2024/Righteous Torrence “TK” Hill “Chevy”
TK was a community leader who ran a hair salon serving the LGBTQIA+ community. The circumstances of his murder are not known.
Righteous Torrence "TK" Hill (Chevy), a Black transman, 35, was reportedly murdered last week Thursday, February 29, 2024. Artist and LGBT-rights activist Yves Mathieu-East, a friend of Hill, shared the news of his murder via Instagram. Details surrounding his death are limited at this time,
Loved by many, Hill was an indispensable community leader known for his humility, exceptional talent, and most importantly, his kind heart.
Originally from Macon, GA, Hill was the founder/owner of Evollusion, an Atlanta-based full-service hair salon dedicated to serving the LGBTQIA+ community specializing in hair, nails, barbering, and makeup.
Countering the Black, traditional, barbershop culture that is typically felt as a queerphobic environment, Hill’s salon offered a much-needed safe space for the Black, LGBTQIA+ residents of Atlanta and its surrounding areas.
TK posted this several days before passing away:
“AS I LAY IN THIS TENT I REALIZE IMMEDIATELY camping is relaxing and I’M NOT the same as I used to be. I’m grown now. I try my best to avoid things taking me back to the old me. MOST importantly I’m still working on myself. Letting people feel like they’ve “won” has helped me drastically [reduce] ignorance and drama in my life! AMAZINGLY I now have time and cognitive focus on my FOCUS! Point is I’m a mature, happy adult & I thank God for the growth.”
TK's Facebook profile is https://www.facebook.com/HeavyChevy12.
https://abcnews.go.com/US/gun-violence-growing-concern-transgender-community/story?id=115975834
https://abcnews.go.com/US/video/gun-violence-growing-concern-transgender-community-116028444
https://www.advocate.com/crime/black-trans-man-killed-atlanta
https://www.them.us/story/righteous-torrence-tk-hill-mother-interview
https://gayety.co/black-trans-salon-owner-righteous-torrence-chevy-hill-killed-in-atlanta
https://www.them.us/story/righteous-torrence-chevy-hill-atlanta-death
https://abcnews.go.com/US/video/gun-violence-growing-concern-transgender-community-116028444
https://www.instagram.com/p/C4L7mQFPWor/
Ashton Myles Clatterbuck
27 Feb 2024
Lancaster, Pennsylvania (USA)
Suicide
Ash died by suicide.
Members of the Lancaster community left flowers, letters and chalk art in memory of Ash Clatterbuck during a candlelight vigil held at Penn Square in downtown Lancaster on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024.
To those who knew him, Ashton Clatterbuck was easy to describe: A magnetic personality with a big laugh and a quick wit. A voracious reader and fast marathon runner. A sharp writer and a tireless activist who sought out injustice and called for change.
What is so much harder for his family and friends to explain is how it feels knowing that he is gone: Another transgender person who sought acceptance and died far too young.
“He has touched so many lives for good in his short life,” said his mother, [name redacted]. “I cannot express how much our hearts hurt. His smile was contagious, and his positivity brought sunlight to so many hurting.”
“Ash was an incredible human being who made all of our lives brighter by virtue of knowing him. May his memory be a blessing.” said Democratic state Rep. Izzy Smith Wade-El, who represents Lancaster and led the vigil [for Ash].
After the vigil, the sounds of crying and whispering gave way to conversation, a violin and even some laughter as people found fellowship in one another. Some knew Clatterbuck personally. Others, like Deklan Rupp of Lancaster, came to give support to a transgender community that he said simply wants to be accepted but is instead met with endless scrutiny and vilification — in the news, in politics and at school board meetings.
“It was very moving, just to see how many people were there, just to see how many people’s lives were touched by Ash,” said Rupp. Rupp, a transgender man who serves as music minister at Vision of Hope Metropolitan Community Church in Mountville, said it’s important for transgender people “to show up and make ourselves seen.”
Rupp said he was stunned to realize that this is the third young transgender person that he knows of who has died in Lancaster County in the last year. Theodora “Thea” Cassidy of Ephrata and River Olmsted of Manheim Township died last fall, just weeks apart.
Rupp said there is an urgent need for young transgender people to feel accepted — and know where to turn when they need help navigating gender identity, family and the stresses of being targeted by politicians and activist groups.
The morning after the vigil, Lititz Chooses Love executive director Parker Webb was already busy planning events to help others in the LGBTQ+ community who are struggling with grief and sadness. “During this difficult time in our community, coming together in love and joy can be healing,” Webb said. Online, he directed people to three upcoming events hosted by Lititz Chooses Love: Karaoke, coffee and a meeting for adults.
“We just are in an emergency situation,” said Webb. “And we want to work with others. If you want to work with our community, we’re here. We need places where queer people feel welcome.”
Chriss Nelson, a Clay Township resident who identifies as nonbinary and is president and founder of Trans Minors Rights, worked with Ash Clatterbuck at an arts and crafts meetup a year ago. “There were so many people (at Thursday’s vigil). I wasn’t expecting that. Ash touched the lives of so many people,” Nelson said. “The work that he did and his family did was so amazing. It’s going to live on. It was such an inspiration. It was such a privilege to meet such a compassionate person.”
“The political climate has just been really dangerous recently,” Nelson said. “People seem to be encouraging violence. The story about Nex (Benedict) that broke recently was just an example of that, of how angry, I think, people have become. So I think it’s important to keep educating people, and pushing for legislation that protects people.”
Nelson said they were shaken by Clatterbuck's death. “The political climate has become so much more dangerous that even having a supportive family isn’t enough anymore. It's really scary that politicians are using their platforms to do something so detrimental to our community.”
Clatterbuck himself pointed to this problem, though, as his father put it, his son’s approach was not based in anger. Mark Clatterbuck recounted that his son took him to a “ReAwaken America” event at Spooky Nook in October 2022. He wanted to give people a chance to meet a transgender person.
There, Ash Clatterbuck stood in line to shake the hand of Michael Flynn, the conspiracy theorist and a national security adviser during the Trump administration. “It was that kind of playful, subversive way that he confronted hatred,” Mark Clatterbuck said.
As a writer and occasional contributor to the LNP | LancasterOnline opinion section, Ash Clatterbuck took on a range of issues facing LGBTQ+ people. “Making it ‘illegal’ to be transgender does not stop people from being born transgender,” he wrote last May. “Closing your eyes doesn’t make us go away. The anti-LGBTQ+ political stunts we see around the country — masquerading as religious liberty and moral piety — are doing real harm to queer Americans.”
In that piece, Chatterbuck pointed to a study by Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Law and Public Policy at UCLA that found about 1.5% of Americans identify as transgender. “This makes for an easy target, and the GOP knows this,” Clatterbuck wrote.
“America is a country of diversity, inclusion, strength and liberty. How does my very existence challenge, in any way, those values — your values? Your actions cannot change who we are. The only thing you can change is your own attitude toward us.”
For [his mother], her son will be remembered for more than his work supporting LGBTQ+ rights. “He always sided with and spoke for marginalized people,” she said. Asked what motivated him to care for those in need, she said she remembered sitting together as a family, reciting the Lord’s Prayer and contemplating the Beatitudes, which is part of the New Testament of the Bible.
She said groups that have been targeting transgender people will probably try to say her son was simply a “tortured soul” — a notion she rejects. “He was not a tortured soul,” she said. “He was a ray of light. If he was tortured, it’s because our culture has created a world in which people like Ash are not welcome.”
Ash's Medium profile is https://medium.com/@clatterbucka.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-ashton-myles-clatterbuck-memorial-fund
Noah Jackson Chase
20 Feb 2024
Charlotte, North Carolina (USA)
Suicide
Noah died by suicide.
My heart is broken for my college buddy Noah Jackson Chase. I just learned that he took his own life 2 days ago. He was a kind and loving soul. I am sad. Rest In Peace, my brother.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1570448163283501?
Erin Sylvia Sorrell
Age 4414 Feb 2024
Seattle, Washington (USA)
Overdose
Erin reportedly passed away on Wednesday 14th February.
Erin had a lot of friends - more than she realized - and touched many lives by simply being genuine, honest, and a safe keeper of secrets. She enjoyed anything outdoors, including biking, hiking, backpacking, skiing, camping in all weather conditions, fly fishing, and rockhounding. She loved animals, particularly birds, and she was a magnet for cats, who would often gravitate to her and spend hours on her lap.
Erin's intelligence, work ethic, and integrity propelled her career in IT and contributed to her professional success. Throughout her career, she earned several networking and security certifications and was granted at least one patent. She had a deep appreciation for art and music, and she loved to travel, having visited Sweden, Thailand, and Switzerland, among other places.
She was sometimes cynical and incredibly stubborn, but those fortunate enough to know her also know that she was deeply caring, generous, and kind. Erin was a sister, partner, best friend, confidant, shoulder, and someone who would sit with you and just be present. While she should have had more time, she still lived and loved so much during her time on Earth. She is missed greatly by her friends and family.
Erin's Facebook profile is https://www.facebook.com/Aries.Sorrell.
Sources: North Idaho Pride Alliance (NIPA) and Erin's chosen family
Nex Benedict
Age 16 (born 11 Jan 2008)8 Feb 2024
Owasso, Oklahoma (USA)
Beaten, then died from an overdose
TDoR list ref: tgeu/tdor2024/8-Feb-2024/Nex Benedict
Cecilia Gentili
Age 526 Feb 2024
New York City (USA)
Overdose
Cecilia died from an overdose. After her memorial service, disparaging remarks made by the New York Archdiocese about her funeral sparked public outrage.
In September 2024 Michael Kuilan, 44, and Antonio Venti, 52, pled guilty to distributing the heroin and fentanyl that caused her death. In May 2025 Kuilan was sentenced to 19 years in prison.
In February, friends and family gathered to mourn the unexpected death of beloved trans activist, Cecilia Gentili. This month two people have been charged Monday for allegedly
Text messages, cell site data, and other evidence showed that 52-year-old Antonio Venti of Long Island sold Gentili drugs on Feb. 5, and Brooklyn resident, Michael Kuilan, 44, supplied Venti with the deadly narcotics, federal prosecutors said. Law enforcement officials searching Kuilan’s home also found hundreds of baggies of fentanyl, a handgun and ammunition, according to Breon Peace, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.
Her death at age 52 drew significant attention. Cecilia, an Argentinian immigrant, was a renowned activist, advocating for immigrants, the transgender community, sex worker rights and people living with HIV.
Controversy around her funeral at St. Patrick’s Cathedral sparked outrage from the New York Archdiocese, which called the funeral “sacrilegious and deceptive.” Apparently, the diocese didn’t do a background check to determine if Cecilia deserved to be honored in this space. Even in death, she was a powerful advocate for visibility and acknowledgment.
“Cecilia’s immaculate work and the way she touched so many hearts and lives made her worthy of sainthood. Cecilia deserved this historic honor of the monumental funeral service at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and to be cemented in history as a mother of multiple movements –– of sex worker, immigration, trans, and affirming health care movements,” said Oscar Diaz, the director of communications at Trans Equity Consulting, an organization that Gentili founded. “Her wit, creativity, humor, and grace will be missed by the generations she mothered.”
Cecilia was born on Jan. 31, 1972, in Gálvez, a city in northeastern Argentina. She eventually made her way to the United States and experienced multiple levels of dehumanizing oppression in her struggle to survive. You can read the full news obituary at them and the New York Times I cannot begin to do justice to this woman. In 2019, she founded Trans Equity Consulting, a development consulting firm that sought to center that according to them was “paying trans people to be experts on their own experiences.” Her voice gives rise to many other voices, something we should acknowledge by not only seeking justice for her death but listening to trans people.
She was poisoned. Yes, she was using heroin. But that doesn’t mitigate that these two men allegedly laced the heroin with a known deadly substance. Of course heroin users don’t deserve to be poisoned. She was killed by greedy, vicious, and callous profiteers with no regard for her magnificent life or the lives of the others who bought their tainted drugs. Those whose names, honestly, will not make the NYT or draw ire or an acknowledgment from any Catholic leader. Undoubtedly the people I think Cecilia would be most concerned about – people who suffered at the hands of a hostile world and villainous humans.
https://www.advocate.com/crime/cecilia-gentili-death-guilty-pleas
https://patch.com/new-york/brooklyn/dealer-pleads-guilty-selling-drugs-killed-local-trans-activist
https://www.newsweek.com/men-admit-supplying-drugs-that-killed-transgender-activist-1958251
https://www.edgemedianetwork.com/story/335527
https://www.metroweekly.com/2024/09/two-guilty-pleas-in-cecilia-gentili-fentanyl-related-death/
https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/09/25/cecilia-gentili-trans-death-charged-guilty-new-york/
https://agenciapresentes.org/2024/07/18/cecilia-gentili-un-libro-de-cartas-y-una-vida-de-pelicula/
https://reason.com/2024/04/03/drug-dealers-did-not-kill-cecilia-gentili-prohibition-did/
https://www.pghlesbian.com/2024/04/two-arrested-in-the-death-of-trans-woman-cecilia-gentili/
https://abcnews.go.com/US/charged-transgender-activist-cecilia-gentilis-death/story?id=108714421
https://people.com/cecilia-gentili-men-charged-after-death-transgender-activist-8623655
https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/04/02/cecilia-gentili-death-drug-charges-arrest/
https://www.edgemedianetwork.com/story/332364
https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2024/04/02/us/cecilia-gentili-overdose-death-suspects-charges
https://www.whmi.com/news/national/two-charged-transgender-activist-cecilia-gentilis-death
https://www.advocate.com/crime/two-arrested-death-cecilia-gentili
https://www.foxnews.com/us/2-charged-fentanyl-death-prominent-nyc-trans-activist
https://www.yahoo.com/news/two-charged-connection-overdose-death-212100214.html
https://deadline.com/2024/04/cecilia-gentili-cause-of-death-arrests-1235873202/
https://www.them.us/story/cecilia-gentili-death-charges-fentanyl-arraignment
https://gaycitynews.com/feds-announce-two-arrests-cecilia-gentili-death/
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/01/nyregion/cecilia-gentili-fentanyl-death.html
https://www.everettpost.com/national/two-charged-in-transgender-activist-cecilia-gentilis-death
https://www.kake.com/story/50465316/trans-icon-cecilia-gentili-is-honored-at-a-famous-cathedral
https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/02/17/funeral-cecilia-gentili-st-patricks-cathedral/
https://ew.com/pose-actress-cecilia-gentili-dead-8559981
https://people.com/cecilia-gentili-transgender-activist-and-pose-actress-dies-at-52-8567815
https://www.vulture.com/article/cecilia-gentili-dead-actress-author-activist.html
https://gaycitynews.com/cecilia-gentili-trans-immigrants-sex-workers-dies/
https://pagesix.com/2024/02/07/celebrity-news/pose-actress-cecilia-gentili-dead-at-52/
https://www.0223.com.ar/nota/2024-2-8-10-43-0-murio-la-actriz-y-activista-trans-cecilia-gentili
https://www.sensacine.com.mx/noticias/noticia-1000064960/
https://www.pagina12.com.ar/711083-murio-la-actriz-y-activista-trans-argentina-cecilia-gentili
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cecilia_Gentili
https://www.instagram.com/p/C3BLkJaO8Os/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AONVpKerJ5g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RK_r8o0JvtM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsPwz3CpPow
África Parrilla García ("Emma")
Age 252 Feb 2024
San Juan, Puerto Rico (USA)
Shot
TDoR list ref: tgeu/tdor2024/2-Feb-2024/África Parrilla García ("Emma")
África was shot in the street.
The authorities are investigating whether the murder of a transgender woman recorded at dawn on Friday on calle Aurora in Santurce, constitutes the first hate crime of 2024, confirmed Idamaris Morales Laurido , director of the Homicide Division of the Criminal Investigation Corps (CIC) of the Police, to El Nuevo Día.
“The victim's parents have already been interviewed and we are waiting for them to go to the Institute of Forensic Sciences for identification,” said Morales Laurido, in a telephone interview, after describing the deceased as “a trans female.” Although he could not immediately specify whether this is the first hate crime reported so far this year, he assured that this angle is being investigated.
“The body had multiple gunshot wounds and several .40 caliber bullet casings were recovered at the scene,” he explained.
According to the initial report of the events, a call to the 9-1-1 Emergency System alerted the Police about a person lying on the pavement. When the agents arrived, they found the lifeless body of a person of approximately 25 years old, who had gunshot wounds in different parts of the body.
The deceased person was described as having a dark complexion, black hair, brown eyes, 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighing approximately 200 pounds. At the time of the events, he stated, he was wearing a gray shirt, long black jeans, black Adidas sports shoes, long black socks, and long black and white false nails.
https://www.advocate.com/crime/transgender-woman-killed-puerto-rico-garcia
https://www.pghlesbian.com/2024/04/trans-latina-africa-parrilla-garcia-was-killed-in-san-juan/
https://www.them.us/story/puerto-rican-trans-woman-killed-san-juan
Kathryn Maria Ottersten ("Kathy Otter")
31 Jan 2024
Fairbanks, Alaska (USA)
Suicide
Kathy died by suicide.
A warrior passes.
Our own Kathy Otter chose to take a different path in her epic journey today and ended her time here.
By her own admission to me and others via email this afternoon, mental illness drove her decision.
I was allowed permission to share this devastating news by close friends of Kathy in Fairbanks, Alaska.
They are all communing together tonight in shock and sadness over their departed friend.
We must continue to look after each other, brother and sister and non-binary activists, and hold each other up.
Alexis Danzig and I welcome people to help us plan a NYC memorial service for Kathy in the future.
Kathy Otter, rest in power!
Kathy's Facebook is https://www.facebook.com/kathy.ottersten.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/ACTUPNYAlumni/posts/10159800821197747
https://www.facebook.com/actupny/videos/385705801157692/
Sasha Williams
26 Jan 2024
Las Vegas, Nevada (USA)
Stabbed
TDoR list ref: tgeu/tdor2024/26-Jan-2024/Sasha Williams
Sasha died after being stabbed during an argument with a man. A suspect is in custody.
LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — A suspect is now behind bars in connection to an argument that turned deadly in the central valley on Friday, according to Las Vegas Metropolitan Police.
On Jan. 26, at about 10:45 a.m., LVMPD Communications received a report of a stabbing in the 3700 block of Palos Verdes Street near Twain Avenue.
Upon arrival, officers located a victim suffering from apparent stab wounds. Medical personnel responded and transported the victim to a local hospital, where the victim was pronounced dead.
During the preliminary investigation, officers identified 20-year-old Hassan Howard as the suspect in this case. Officers were able to locate Howard and take him into custody.
The LVMPD Homicide Section responded and learned that Howard and the victim were in an argument during which he stabbed the victim.
Howard was booked into the Clark County Detention Center for open murder with a deadly weapon.
Sasha's Facebook profile is https://www.facebook.com/kitty.hung.986.
https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/05/03/sasha-williams-death/
https://www.yahoo.com/news/trans-woman-sasha-williams-stabbed-171915161.html
https://www.them.us/story/sasha-williams-trans-woman-heart-of-gold-las-vegas
https://twitter.com/Kaylara0wl/status/1761205921529708835
Quin Joy
24 Jan 2024
Iowa (USA)
Suicide
Quin died by suicide.
Yesterday we learned that of one of our trans sisters, Quin, died from suicide. By the end of her life, she was named Quin Joy, a testament to how hard she fought for personal happiness as a SA survivor. She was & should be remembered as a proud communist and feminist.
She loved disco, queer cinema & queer literature canon, anime, jazz, hardcore, her friends, fighting games, & her cat Gray. Recently she was busy learning guitar, & was getting pretty good at it, & was working on music as a part of a band called Literature Club.
I'll always remember that she fought incredibly hard to live after what happened to her. I hope that she's finally at peace. I'm going to miss her every day.
https://twitter.com/Futch__Cassidy/status/1750330928621109549
https://twitter.com/CPUSAIANE/status/1750578652335456415
https://twitter.com/genevievesherm_/status/1750539938473353349
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1570448163283501/
James Moen
Age 23 (born 29 Dec 2000)24 Jan 2024
Grand Junction, Colorado (USA)
Suicide
James was found dead inside a crashed vehicle after going missing on 9th January. A friend confirmed that he died by suicide.
MESA COUNTY, Colo. (KKTV) - The search for a missing Colorado man ended tragically after he was found dead inside a wrecked vehicle at Colorado National Monument.
Grand Junction police and other law enforcement had been searching for 23-year-old James Moen since Jan. 9, when he was seen driving into the park early that morning but never seen leaving. Police, Mesa County deputies and Colorado National Monument park rangers combed the 20,500-acre park using a combination of drones and ground searches, but for more than two weeks, the search efforts came up empty.
On the afternoon of Jan. 25, a crashed car was spotted in the area of Ute Canyon Overlook.
“[Colorado National Monument] rangers and Mesa County law enforcement responded and located a vehicle matching the description of the vehicle belonging to James Moen,” the Grand Junction Police Department said in a news release. “On Jan. 26, members of the Mesa County Search and Rescue made their way to the crash site and located a deceased person inside the vehicle matching the description of James Moen.”
My best friend James Moen is a missing person from Grand Junction Colorado. He sent letters to his friends before disappearing to the Mesa in that area. If you see him or go around there and find his car: a black Nissan Maxima 2003 with no bumper and a busted front seat window on the drivers side, please contact the Grand Junction Police Department. He was my best friend online for 11 years and I’ve been in contact with people who were in person friends with him.
We miss him and want him to come home.
He’s 23 years old, He’s 250 pounds, and he’s a transgender man. His birthday is December 29th, he loves to collect dolls and dress them up. We’ve had very little leads, and I’m hoping spreading this as much as I can will get somewhere.
https://www.kjct8.com/2024/01/26/missing-grand-junction-man-found-vehicle/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1570448163283501/posts/3645110609150569/
Guelila Elizabeth Iyob ("Gigi")
Age 25 (born 15 Dec 1998)21 Jan 2024
Damascus, Maryland (USA)
Long COVID
Gigi was non-binary. They died from long COVID complications.
On January 21st the world lost an incredible person. Our Gigi was only 25 years old when they unfortunately passed due to complications with long covid. Guelila's warm, kind, and gentle spirit was felt by thousands near and far. Anyone lucky enough to interact with them either intimately or in passing would say they had an incredibly warming presence. Behind Guelila's modest and gentle demeanor held a world full of immense and unimaginable talent, intelligence, and wit. Guelila reached thousands through one of their many gifts: makeup.
Guelila was able to create new possibilities and push the bounds of creativity through their makeup. With the platform they built, Gigi used their talents to speak out against injustice, social issues, and challenge the world to be better. Gigi was a real advocate, comrade, and organizer in Black and Queer liberation. In their short time on this Earth, Gigi made an impact that will warm the hearts of the loved ones they leave behind forever. Gigi was supported by their mother, two siblings, extended family, friends, and their larger community up until taking their final rest. The funds from this GFM will go directly toward Gigi's family to aid in their transition to this new reality, relieve financial stress, and cover any remaining medical costs from Gigi's care. Gigi will be terribly missed, and we will uplift their name forever.
Frozen. Confused. Shocked. Heartbreaking. There are minimal words for me to speak. I was sitting on my bed, preparing dinner when the news came to reach. I said to myself, "This can't be happening. Why is this the way I'm learning of your departure?" You just turned 25 last month, with so much to prepare for a future. The last time we talked, I was getting ready to watch Dreamgirls again. It was another one of our joyous convos that we had some time to spend. The first time we met was our first time coming to Towson Freedom School. We clicked right away, and, ever since, I knew you were real and cool. You have this uplifting energy and were always a source of light. Every meeting, you always spoke truth to power and fought for what's right. We followed each other on Twitter, and you always managed to crack me up. There were times when we were flirting, and there were times I was like, "Girl, what?" ??
Gigi's Facebook profile is https://www.facebook.com/gigi.iyob.
https://everloved.com/life-of/guelila-iyob/?flow=201
https://www.gofundme.com/f/guelila-iyob-gigi-lila-our-angel
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1570448163283501/posts/3654421054886191/
Giselle Stone
Age 2018 Jan 2024
New York City (USA)
Suicide
Giselle died by suicide. She was a talented musician who was studying fashion and design who had previously lived as a trans man.
It is with great sorrow that our family shares the passing of Giselle Stone, age 20. Although known for many years as [former social name], she made it clear that her final wishes were to be known and remembered as Giselle.
Giselle was the personification of talent, beauty and grace - a gifted artist, a talented musician, a paragon of style, an advocate for anyone in need, and the most generous spirit anyone could have had the good fortune to meet.
Giselle was an artist. Her art had no boundaries: painting, poetry, textile design, music, hair, and the list goes on. And no recounting of Giselle’s life would be complete without acknowledging a huge love of avocado toast, ramen, and the cakes she made that made it impossible to fit into jeans after the holidays.
Giselle was a Sophomore at Savannah College of Art and Design, and had a bright future in sustainable fashion and textiles. Sustainability and care for our world informed all aspects of the way she lived her life, from care of animals and veganism, to care for the community, to care for friends, family and loved ones. Giselle was proudly Jewish with strong ties to the Orangeburg Jewish Center, and lived life trying to embody Jewish values.
Struggle in life is present for all of us, and we marveled at Giselle’s fortitude and strength in dealing with personal struggles - both hers and the struggles of others - always always ALWAYS being kind, loving, and more compassionate to others than to her own well being.
https://www.gamblefuneralservice.com/obituaries/Giselle-Stone/#!/Obituary
https://give.thetrevorproject.org/fundraiser/5216643
Blaire Crits-Christoph
15 Jan 2024
Dallas, Texas (USA)
Suicide
Blaire died by suicide. She was a software developer and musician who loved acting.
Blaire ([deadname redaacted]) Crits-Christoph, of Dallas, TX, passed away on January 15, 2024. Blaire was a triplet, born second along with her older brother and younger sister in Sacramento, CA.
Blaire grew up in West Chester, PA, first attending Westminster Presbyterian Church preschool, then kindergarten through 5th grade at Collegium Charter School. She then attended Fugett Middle School and subsequently West Chester East High School. Since purchasing a house on the bay in 1999, Blaire and the family spent every summer since age 6 in Brigantine, NJ. In addition to enjoying the beach, boat rides, and friends in Brigantine, she was active in theater camp every year, often in the lead role in musical theater productions. She also was passionate about playing the piano. She became accomplished and was asked to accompany choral groups in middle school and jazz band in high school.
Blaire was also active in theater at West Chester East High School, where she graduated in 2012, and at the University of Pennsylvania, where she graduated with a degree in music in 2016. She loved her fellow Underground Shakespeare Company friends at Penn and also performed in the chamber music group accompanying other musicians. While Blaire loved acting and the movies, music was her greatest love and she hoped to continue to be involved it throughout her life. In her last Facebook post she listed her 30 most beloved “works of art,” which were all musical albums and groups. In 2019, Blaire initiated her gender transition.
After college during COVID, Blaire received training to be a software developer and was employed at Infosys until October 2023 focusing on programming apps for Apple devices. She moved to Dallas for her work in 2022. This past summer she connected with the LGBTQ community attending Gender Brave groups and activities sponsored by My Resource Center in Dallas.
Blaire is survived by her parents and brother and her sister. She was close to aunts and uncles and cousins, all of whom will miss her dearly.
Relative and friends are invited to attend the funeral service on Saturday, January 27, 2024, at 11 am. A viewing from 9:30 am to 11 am will be held at the Brigantine Community Presbyterian Church, 1501 W. Brigantine Ave, Brigantine. Interment will follow at Laurel Memorial Park, Pomona.
https://www.lifecelebration.com/obituary/blaire-crits-christoph
https://www.lifecelebration.com/obituary/blaire-crits-christoph
Kitty Monroe
Age 431 Jan 2024
Phoenix, Arizona (USA)
Beaten and run over
TDoR list ref: tgeu/tdor2024/1-Jan-2024/Kitty Monroe
Kitty died after attacked by a couple and then run over by at least three vehicles - one of them belonging to her attackers.
The first trans person killed in 2024 is Kitty Monroe, 43. Equally important, she lived in Phoenix, Arizona. Also, Kitty was a Latina trans woman.
Witnesses who came forward have said she was attacked about 2 a.m. Jan. 1 by a man and woman in the parking lot of Casa de Licores, a liquor drive-thru on Broadway Road near Ninth Street, the family said.
Phoenix police spokesman Sgt. Philip Krynsky told The Republic the initial investigation indicated the case was being handled as a fatal hit-and-run. Krynsky said he could not share some details of the case out of concern it could hinder the department’s investigation.
The family said a witness told her a man and woman were chasing [Kitty], with the man slugging her in the back with a gun. Collapsed on the ground, Monnroe was then run over by the man’s black two-door truck, which was described as making a loud noise as if it had no exhaust. The family was told another driver then accidentally hit Munnroe.
There is no other information on the identities of the people who chased and assaulted Kitty or the two drivers who apparently ran over her body after she collapsed.
https://www.them.us/story/kitty-monroe-a-latine-trans-person-was-killed-on-new-years-day-at-age-43
https://www.advocate.com/crime/trans-latina-kitty-monroe-killed
Lexus Walker
Age 4330 Dec 2023
Norfolk, Virginia (USA)
Run over
TDoR list ref: tgeu/tdor2024/30-Dec-2023/Lexus Walker
Lexus was killed when her car was struck by a vehicle driven by a drunk driver.
NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY)– A person has died following a crash in Norfolk early Saturday morning.
According to State Police, the crash occurred at 3:15 a.m. in the westbound lanes of the Downtown Bridge Tunnel on Interstate 264.
The driver of a 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan, 27-year-old Dominique Goodwin, was traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes of the Downtown Bridge Tunnel when she struck a 2007 Chevrolet Equinox head-on, killing the driver instantly.
Police identified the driver of the Chevrolet Equinox as 43-year-old [deadname] Riddick-Walker of Portsmouth.
Goodwin suffered non life-threatening injuries and was transported from the scene.
Alcohol was a contributing factor in the crash.
Commonwealth Attorney’s Office was called to the scene. The investigation is on-going and charges are pending at this time.
Lexus' Facebook profile is https://www.facebook.com/lexus.v.walker.
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10161889948279625&set=p.10161889948279625
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=888024932925612
Meghan Riley Lewis
Age 5327 Dec 2023
Bel Air, Maryland (USA)
Shot
TDoR list ref: tgeu/tdor2024/27-Dec-2023/Meghan Riley Lewis
Meghan was shot by a food delivery driver, reportedly after she objected to him misgendering her.
Brian Michael Delen, 47, was arrested at the scene and charged with second degree murder. The charges were later upgraded to first degree murder.
Town police said officers were called around 6:30 p.m. to the English Country Manor condominiums in the 600 block of Churchill Road for a shooting. Police said a preliminary investigation indicates a confrontation in the parking lot led to the shooting and that the suspect, Brian Michael Delen, 47, of Bel Air, called 911.
"(Delen) immediately surrendered to them (officers). They took him into custody and found a semi-automatic pistol on his person. From that point, they also saw the victim lying on the ground," Bel Air Police Chief Charles Moore told 11 News.
A court charging document obtained by 11 News said it was all over gender identity.
Police said Lewis was shot in the upper torso and was taken to the University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Medical Center, where she died.
The charging document states Delen was delivering food when he and Lewis got into a confrontation. The court record states: "Delen asked, 'Are you waiting for a food delivery, sir?' Lewis took offense to what she believed was Delen misgendering her and began yelling at him."
The charging document states Delen began to drive away and Lewis followed on foot. Delen then stopped his car and got out, the dispute escalated, and, "during the altercation, Delen produced his firearm and fired one round, striking Lewis in the left abdomen."
Police charged Delen with second-degree murder, first-degree assault and a gun charge. He remains held at the Harford County Detention Center, and a bail review hearing is scheduled for Friday morning.
Meghan was "a fixture in the community and loved by many".
Her last message to me should say everything about how incredible a person she was. pic.twitter.com/dWYNVdYC5a
— Erin Reed (@ErinInTheMorn) December 29, 2023
In November 2024 Delen was acquitted of murder but convicted of second-degree assault and a gun charge. After the verdict the Harford County State Attorney Alison Healey said:
"Obviously, this is not the outcome for which we were hoping. We stand by our arguments to the jury that the incident that took the life of Meghan Riley Lewis was undoubtedly a First Degree Murder."
Meghan's Facebook profile is https://www.facebook.com/meghan.lewis.9237.
https://www.advocate.com/crime/jury-acquits-man-killed-meghan-riley-lewis
https://wcbm.com/local-story/bel-air-trial-concludes-of-man-accused-of-killing-transgender-woman/
https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/bel-air-maryland-transgender-woman-conviction-fatal-shooting/
https://www.yahoo.com/news/trial-underway-maryland-delivery-driver-163000358.html
https://patch.com/maryland/belair/suspect-meghan-lewis-death-indicted-upgraded-charges-report
https://www.yahoo.com/news/man-accused-killing-trans-woman-001400500.html
https://patch.com/maryland/belair/suspect-meghan-lewis-shooting-death-released-jail
https://www.metroweekly.com/2024/01/maryland-judge-approves-release-of-trans-womans-killer/
https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/01/09/man-charged-murder-trans-activist/
https://www.washingtonblade.com/2024/01/08/rally-for-justice-megan-lewis/
https://www.advocate.com/crime/meghan-riley-lewis-suspect-released
https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2024/01/trans-woman-shot-killed-by-food-delivery-driver/
https://patch.com/maryland/belair/celebration-life-held-bright-light-meghan-riley-lewis
https://www.them.us/story/meghan-lewis-maryland-shot-killed-trans-advocate
https://www.wbal.com/over-100-attend-vigil-for-transgender-woman-killed-in-bel-air/
https://www.wmar2news.com/local/vigil-remembers-woman-killed-in-bel-air-shooting
https://www.wbal.com/vigil-to-honor-bel-air-woman-killed-in-fatal-shooting/
https://patch.com/maryland/belair/meghan-riley-lewiss-suspected-shooter-released-jail-report
https://www.wbal.com/judge-releases-bel-air-homicide-suspect-on-recognizance/
https://www.pghlesbian.com/2023/12/the-murder-of-a-57-year-old-trans-woman-in-maryland/
https://www.advocate.com/crime/meghan-lewis-killed-baltimore
https://www.shorenewsnetwork.com/2023/12/30/trans-activist-murdered-during-dispute-in-bel-air/
https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/one-dead-after-shooting-in-bel-air/
https://twitter.com/ErinInTheMorn/status/1740626162169356785
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41w4M0O8aAk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7Z0aYoO3mc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXsxB2XpIIk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmN8oz3Nnnc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxpKQYJEgls
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-9ngLAxjwc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAsX2AV7mSE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNaBOaww31c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZWD1Y9zRSc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BI9GkYQRnWs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2DroKmbJTw
Amber Minor
Age 4024 Dec 2023
Raytown, Missouri (USA)
Shot
TDoR list ref: tgeu/tdor2024/24-Dec-2023/Amber Minor
Amber's body was found in a driveway on the morning of Christmas Eve.
Black transgender woman Amber Minor was killed on Christmas Eve.
Minor, a Kansas City resident, was shot on the morning of Dec. 24. According to The Kansas City Star, the 40-year-old’s body was discovered in a Raytown, Missouri, driveway on Christmas Eve around 8:35 a.m. Minor was pronounced dead at the scene by authorities after police arrived.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, the LGBTQ Commission of Kansas City commented on who Minor was as a person. “Amber was a resilient Black Trans woman who lived a life full of laughter,” the commission wrote.
Minor was also regarded as a “Black Trans woman full of love and life” by Justice Horn, the commission chair in Kansas City.
The LGBTQ Commission of Kansas City acknowledged its collaboration with Transformations KC and local trans support groups to offer support to the community. Following her death, media outlets reportedly misgendered Minor and did not acknowledge her female identity. However, Horn and local transgender rights activists confirmed Minor’s identity and gender.
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/going-miss-us-amber-kc-153206929.html
https://www.hrc.org/news/amber-minor-black-transgender-woman-tragically-killed-kansas-city
https://www.them.us/story/amber-minor-death-misgender-press-reports
https://www.advocate.com/media/amber-minor-kansas-city-misgenders
https://www.metroweekly.com/2024/01/police-investigating-transgender-woman-amber-minors-murder/
https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/01/07/black-trans-woman-christmas-eve-shooting/
https://www.advocate.com/crime/amber-minor-transgender-woman-killed
https://www.yahoo.com/news/she-warrior-friends-remember-strength-113000603.html
https://www.blackenterprise.com/black-transgender-woman-killed-christmas-eve/
https://news.yahoo.com/black-transgender-woman-amber-minor-171409784.html
https://twitter.com/LGBTQCommission/status/1741115943546232864
Tripp Schultz
Age 31 (born 11 Aug 1992)18 Dec 2023
Salt Lake City, Utah (USA)
Suicide
Tripp died by suicide.
Tripp passed away unexpectedly on 12/18/2023 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
To know Tripp was to immediately love Tripp. He had a smile that lit up the room, and a booming contagious laugh that instantly drew people to want to meet him. He was a fiercely loyal friend to anyone he met and would go to the ends of the Earth to help and protect those in need. Tripp was a strong advocate, participating in peaceful protests and shielding members of his community; He could be found joyously participating in LGBTQIA+ celebrations and advocating for the queer community. Tripp also loved children and often rose to action in championing for their safety - kids adored Tripp and found kinship in his forever-young personality and the safe space he created. He always extended his hand to those who felt lost or scared, and many found continuous respite in his company.
Tripp was an avid musician, playing bass guitar in multiple bands and touring with his bandmates in Consumed by Silence, The Lament Configuration and many more. Tripp loved horror movies and was particularly interested in early horror films from the 1930s and '50s, such as Frankenstein, The Invisible Man and Creature from the Black Lagoon. He enjoyed camping and being in nature, often surrounded by friends; he enjoyed working with his hands and had a natural skill in carpentry and mechanics, and could often be found working on cars or putting together a new project. He took special interest in robotics, space exploration and theoretical physics.
Tripp made a career in managing and tending the bar at local pubs like Piper Down and Citizens, and was passionate about his work there; he loved his regular patrons who would stop in to grab a bite or a quick drink, and his coworkers quickly became a close-knit family; his open-armed approach to everyone who entered the doors made a huge impact on all those he came in contact with.
Tripp made a deep impact on the lives of all those who found him. The amount of support, love and admiration to come forth since his departure shows just how truly and deeply he loved and was loved by everyone who knew him, even briefly.
In lieu of flowers or cards, we have several very important requests for those that loved him, knew him, or are reading about him for the very first time here. This is how my brother would want to be remembered and have his memory honored.
First, always be unapologetically yourself. Love yourself. Shine bright and true.
Second, love hard and unconditionally. Surround yourself with the people that lift you up and be the voice and shoulder for those who need it. And finally, if you ever feel lost and alone know that he will always be with us. Energy like Tripp's will live forever.
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/tripp-schultz-obituary?id=53930126
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1570448163283501/posts/3628794317448865/
Care Hansen
Age 2114 Dec 2023
Riverton, Utah (USA)
Suicide
Care died by suicide.
Our amazing, beautiful, and so very loved first-born child, sister, grandchild, and friend, “Care” Hansen left this world on Thursday, December 14th, 2023 at the tender age of 21, to return home to Heaven. Care was a warrior who valiantly fought a long, difficult battle with mental illness and tried so hard to stay with us as long as possible. Each day Care survived was a victory, and we are So. Very. Grateful. for each and every one of those days that we were blessed to have Care in our lives. Our family will never be the same.
Care packed an amazing amount of life into their short 21 years on this earth. Care was born on May 8, 2002 at Jordan Valley Hospital in West Jordan, Utah, to thrilled parents [names redacted]. [They were] their first child, as well as the first grandchild on both sides, and was welcomed into the world with great anticipation and much love and affection from the new parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, and uncles.
Care had an amazing love for all animals and living creatures. As a young child, [they] loved to pet bees and hold spiders and snakes. Care had many pets throughout life, including a cat, turtle, ferrets, snake, lizards, fish, frogs and toads, rats, chickens, hamsters, and various birds that Care rescued and rehabilitated. Currently, Care has a beloved Seppala Siberian Husky named Mollie, who brought Care so much comfort.
Care was incredibly smart and dedicated and did well in whatever they put their mind to. They took school and study very seriously and always got excellent grades, even pulling off a perfect 4.0 many quarters throughout middle and high school. (All this, despite the extra hardship of struggling with dyslexia that wasn’t diagnosed or accommodated until partway through their junior year in high school.) Care attended South Jordan Montessori Preschool, Southland Elementary School, Oquirrh Hills Middle School, and Riverton High School, participating in many choirs and plays, and earning countless honors and recognitions along the way, including Eagle of the Quarter, Student of the Month, National Honor Society, Academic Letters, and so on. Care graduated from Riverton High School in 2020 and later received an Associate’s degree from Salt Lake Community College in 2022. Care was currently working to get into a nursing program and could be found studying hard for finals right up until their passing.
One of Care’s favorite hobbies was to participate as a background actor in movies and tv shows. Care was a featured extra in the Scott Sterling and other Studio C sketches, several religious films, including The Chosen, some Hallmark and similar Christmas movies, several seasons of the High School Musical series, and others. Care enjoyed involving family and friends in these experiences, and we were always excited to see Care on the screen and their name in the credits. Care’s professionalism and talent made them a favorite of several casting directors and was always invited back.
Care was always very sensitive to those with special needs and made some very dear friends through interactions with peer tutoring, special needs seminary, and while working as a camp counselor at an adaptive summer camp during high school. Care’s love for these friends was sincere, and they really seemed to understand that.
Care had a love for the LGBTQ community, of which they were a part. Care came out publicly as non-binary several years ago and has since been exploring their gender, using various pronouns, and even briefly testing out a masculine name, by which some people have known Care recently. Care had also begun to reconnect with their feminine side and shared several experiences with us demonstrating that. One thing for certain is that though Care was known in different ways by different people, they were a shining example of love to all. Care touched the lives of so many members of the LGBTQ community, making countless friends and helping them to feel accepted and to accept themselves. Care enjoyed attending a variety of activities and events, including those at Encircle, Love Loud, and the Pride Festival, proudly participating in the parade each year. Our family always loved and accepted Care for who they were. We hope all will honor Care’s legacy by continually striving to always show love and acceptance to others.
Care’s many passions included compassionate care and nursing. Care became a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) during high school and worked at Legacy House of South Jordan (an assisted living and memory care facility) for over four years, starting as a senior in high school and up until their passing. At the time of their passing, Care was one of the most senior CNAs and Med Techs there and took the job very seriously. Care was a healthcare hero during the pandemic and worked tirelessly through several outbreaks at their facility. Care had such a love for the residents there and became close with many of them, being an integral part of the last months, days, and even moments of so many. It was a heavy burden and took a toll on Care to be around during the deaths of so many people who truly mattered to them, but Care sincerely loved these people and was honored to be with them through these times.
Another of Care’s great passions was traveling and humanitarian work, which often went hand in hand for Care. A lifetime of travel was packed into Care’s short 21 years, with visits to 21 countries before turning 20, including every continent except Antarctica. Care’s father was their travel buddy throughout most of these travels, visiting nearly all those countries together, often just the two of them, as they explored the world and adventured together, having incredible experiences and making unbelievable memories that will last forever. Care went on humanitarian trips to Uganda, Kenya, Paraguay, Peru, and Thailand, including spending several months living abroad in Africa as a humanitarian worker during the Covid pandemic. Care truly loved and cared about people on a very personal level and touched the lives of countless people in countries all around the world, where they still have friends and loved ones to this day. Traveling is one of our family’s favorite past times, and we were blessed to go on many family trips with Care. Care was always up for an adventure and made our travels so much fun. We will always cherish these memories.
To our dear, wonderful Care: Your presence in our lives is one of the greatest gifts we could ever have received. You brought so much joy and beauty into the world. We take comfort in the knowledge that you are no longer suffering, but life without you is going to be SO hard. We will miss you every day. We know you will be there to greet us when the time comes for us to be reunited. Until then, stay near and continue to share your love with us, as we will with you.
https://www.larkinmortuary.com/obituary/view/care-hansen/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1570448163283501/posts/3629580174036946/
Madison Montana
Age 269 Dec 2023
Los Angeles, California (USA)
Suicide
Madison died by suicide.
My best friend, Madison Montana, passed away from suicide on December 9th, 2023 at the Los Angeles LGBT Center. They were just 26 years old. I didn't find their page.
They're a wonderful musician and artist. You'd usually always see them with their ukulele, Mercy, singing and playing in nature. Their art was used to not only process their ongoing trauma and emotions, but they also used their art for advocacy and social justice.
Madison also loves video games and grew up with Nintendo stuff! They could play through the Donkey Kong Trilogy effortlessly and also help you become addicted to Kirby.
They're nonbinary, bisexual, and a furry. There's much more to say about them, but they're the most emotionally compassionate and empathetic person I know. They're also quite goofy.
Most people knew them as Montana but towards the end of their life they went by Madison. Two years earlier they went by Matt and had identified as a trans man.
Another friend contributed the following quote:
“Madison was always an amazing presence to behold. They were uplifting and full of energy and creativity. From the early start of my journey they were there for me throughout my transition, as they were for many others. Madison helped me breakout of my shell and to find confidence in myself. They took me to places I would’ve never found or otherwise be too terrified to go. The world was a lot brighter place when you were around them. Madison was a beacon that shined bright with unabashed creativity, kindness, compassion, and love. I truly hope you found your peace. I miss you and cherish the time we had together.”
(by email)
Demita Jo Armstrong
4 Dec 2023
Washington, D. C. (USA)
Possible suicide
Demita had lost her mother several months earlier and reportedly struggled with her mental health.
Again, we find ourselves reaching out for the communities help. Today I am starting a fundraiser to help with services for Demita Armstrong gone too soon. Demita was a sweet heart and a good person. Demita just a few months ago loss her mother, and constantly said that she was so badly to be with her.
Demita struggled day in and day out with mental health which can be a barrier in one's life. Often talking with Demita she saw life as her enemy and death as her friend.
She too has gotten her wings and flown away to the heavenly home. Rest in peace Demita and know that the LBGTQ community will miss you. Please find in yor heart to give to Demita Joe's fundraiser and help bring closure to her life.
[Editor's Note: the exact date of Demita's passing is not known - the date given here is based on that of the social media post embedded above]
Demita's Facebook profiles are https://www.facebook.com/demita.armstrong/, https://www.facebook.com/demita.armstrong.7 and https://www.facebook.com/demita.armstrong.9.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/donate-in-memory-of-demitajoe
Savannah Ryan Williams
Age 3829 Nov 2023
Minneapolis, Minnesota (USA)
Shot
TDoR list ref: tgeu/tdor2024/29-Nov-2023/Savannah Ryan Williams
Savannah was found shot dead near a light-rail train station in Minnesota. Her killer, 25-year-old Damarean Bible, was arrested at his apartment and charged with murder.
Family, community, and members of the Queer Legislative Caucus gathered at the State Capitol on Thursday to mourn the recent killing of a transgender woman of color, and pledge action on transphobia and violence against LGBTQ people.
Damarean Kaylon Bible, 25, has been arrested on suspicion of shooting Savannah Ryan Williams, 38, near Lake Street in Minneapolis on Nov. 29, killing her, according to court records.
The news has rocked the queer community in Minneapolis.
“We’re all still processing. It’s kind of surreal that we lost one of our sisters last week,” said Amber Muhm, an HIV outreach and prevention specialist with the Aliveness Project.
Muhm co-leads the Tea Time support network for trans women and femmes, which Williams was part of, and the situation has devastated their small community.
“Savannah was fierce, full of life. She had a big personality and an even bigger heart. She’s going to be dearly, dearly missed,” Muhm said.
Courtney Mason said he and Williams had been married for seven years, and he cherished her because “she was a very loving, caring person.” She loved having fun, watching movies, and listening to slow love songs by artists like Beyonce and Drake, according to Mason.
Gabrielle Stillday said her older sister would insist on giving the shoes off her feet, and was the favorite auntie to her nieces and nephews.
“I just would like the world to know that Savannah meant the world to me and my kids. She would give me her last and she was very loved by our family,” she said.
Her cousin Rae Lynn Stillday choked up at the press conference.
“Although we are so sad that she is gone and heartbroken, the love, the laugh, the memories she gave will live on forever in our hearts.”
‘Anti-trans violence is an epidemic’
Rep. Leigh Finke, DFL-St. Paul, was among many on Thursday calling the attack a hate crime and denouncing anti-trans sentiments in state and national politics. Though Minnesota became a “trans refuge” state earlier this year with the passage of several bills intended to protect trans communities, advocates said it’s not enough.
“Anti-trans violence is an epidemic. It is everywhere,” said Finke, who is the first openly transgender person to ever serve in the Minnesota Legislature. “Our communities will not be safe until every one of our neighbors sees our humanity, celebrates our individuality, and embraces this beautiful community that loves and is worthy of love.”
The Queer Caucus called for more legislation to ensure trans people’s safety, including investments into equity programs in housing, jobs and support systems.
The incident is the second known violent attack on a trans woman in Minneapolis in 2023. Two men pled guilty to attacking a transgender woman at the Lake Street light rail station in February. The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office at the time said it did not seek hate crime sentencing enhancements because there was no evidence anti-trans bias motivated the men.
This in addition to the mass shooting on a Minneapolis punk house show in August that killed one and injured six. The venue was known to be welcoming to LGBTQ+ people and several survivors who were shot are LGBTQ+. No arrests have been made in that case, but the Office said a senior attorney was recently assigned to help Minneapolis police investigate the shooting.
The last known killing of a trans woman in Minnesota was in 2011, when a man admitted to stabbing Krissy Bates in her Minneapolis apartment. However, a record 59 trans and gender-nonconforming people were killed across the U.S. in 2021, according to the Human Rights Campaign. At least 41 were killed in 2022, and at least 26 have been killed so far this year. Data estimates are expected to underrepresent fatalities because trans identities are often unreported or mis-reported.
That violence disproportionately affects people of color; they made up 84 percent of victims of violence against transgender and gender non-conforming people in 2021, according to the Human Rights Campaign. Family members said Williams was Cuban and Native American, descended from the Red Lake Nation.
Native American women are also more likely to be victims of violent crime. Native American women make up less than 1 percent of the state’s population, but homicide rates for Native women were seven times higher than for white women between 1990 and 2016.
The state and federal governments seek to address these disparities in part with the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Missing and Murdered African American Women taskforces.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said in a statement on Thursday that it is possible a bias-motivated sentencing enhancement, frequently called a “hate crime,” could be added in the case. Bible is currently facing one charge of second-degree murder. However, officials are still investigating.
“While we cannot get into specific details, we can commit to doing what we do in every case, which is to do everything in our power to understand the facts and prosecute the case appropriately. If the investigation reveals sufficient evidence to prove bias motivation beyond a reasonable doubt, we would prosecute accordingly,” Moriarty said.
Prosecutors can add these sentencing enhancements to increase the minimum and maximum sentences for crimes proven to be motivated by bias against certain identities. Those identity groups include a victim’s actual or perceived race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, disability, age or national origin.
‘Please don’t judge her’
According to court records, police found Williams dead in a courtyard on Fourth Avenue South near Lake Street in Minneapolis on Wednesday, Nov. 29. Surveillance video shows Williams and Bible walking towards the area around 5 a.m. and Bible walking away alone after about 45 minutes, according to a probable cause statement police filed in court.
Bible told investigators he was walking past a bus shelter on Lake Street when Williams asked if he wanted to have sex. He agreed and walked towards the courtyard with her. He said Williams made him “suspicious,” so after the sex act was done he shot her point blank in the head.
From jail, Bible told his father that he “just murdered someone.” He said he felt sorry for killing, but he “had to do it,” according to police.
It’s not clear from the police report what Bible was suspicious of.
However, Gabrielle Stillday does not believe her sister was killed because of her gender expression.
“She was murdered because Bible was curious, or should we use word ‘suspicious,’ from the beginning to the end,” she said.
“You all … out there need to open your hearts and be willing to look past her past mistakes and judge her off her beautiful soul, and known she was a loving and kind person. Savannah is our superstar. Do you have a superstar? If you answered yes, please don't judge her cause she wouldn’t judge you."
Bible was convicted in August 2024. The following month he was sentenced to 30 years and 6 months for second degree murder.
Savannah's Facebook profile is https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100073004868022.
https://ktvz.com/cnn-regional/2024/08/09/minneapolis-man-convicted-in-trans-womans-murder/
https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/minneapolis-man-convicted-in-trans-womans-murder/
https://www.hrc.org/news/hrc-mourns-death-of-savannah-ryan-williams
https://www.asere.com/cubana-trans-fallece-en-minneapolis-tras-recibir-una-herida-de-bala/
https://www.nbcnews.com/video/minneapolis-friends-mourn-murdered-transgender-woman-199935045852
https://news.eseuro.com/trends/2730703.html
https://www.advocate.com/transgender/murdered-trans-woman-savannah-williams
https://minnesotareformer.com/2023/12/07/family-lawmakers-mourn-trans-woman-killed-in-minneapolis/
https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/lawmaker-calls-anti-trans-violence-001214401.html
https://www.house.mn.gov/members/Profile/News/15575/37675
https://cubanosporelmundo.com/2023/12/11/asesinato-mujer-trans-cubana-minneapolis/
https://noticias.cubitanow.com/asesinan-a-mujer-trans-cubana-en-minneapolis
https://adncuba.com/crimen/asesinan-de-un-balazo-mujer-trans-de-origen-cubano-en-eeuu
https://www.newsday.com/news/nation/trans-transgender-queer-murder-Minnesota-c84446
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/lawmaker-calls-anti-trans-violence-001214401.html
https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/12/08/trans-woman-killed-hate-crime/
https://www.advocate.com/crime/transgender-woman-killed-minneapolis
https://news.yahoo.com/transgender-woman-shot-head-sexual-191436202.html
https://www.kansascity.com/news/nation-world/national/article282790333.html
https://www.kare11.com/article/news/local/friends-remember-transgender-woman-after-she-was-shot-killed-near-lake-street/89-d088c2fb-320a-4d09-9391-927b158636c1 [Archive link: https://archive.is/yVXLo]
https://gunmemorial.org/2023/11/29/savannah-ryan-williams
https://www.facebook.com/ViolenceFreeMN/posts/646050734402114
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwvsxiJn6YM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOSzyucYKUw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsZ0i0Kqrc0
https://www.gofundme.com/f/savannah-williams-ceremony-funds
