The Murder of Keke Collier (UNSOLVED)

Keke Collier was a twenty-four-year old transgender woman who was killed on February 21, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois's Englewood neighborhood. Keke also went by the name Tiara Richmond. Collier was found in the street and taken to Advocate Christ Hospital, where she later died.

According to witnesses who spoke with activist Shasha Lauren, they saw Keke get into a car with a man who later shot her. Police commented on these reports; saying that there is currently no known reason for the murder and that they are investigating.

The Murder of JoJo Striker (UNSOLVED)

JoJo Striker was a twenty-three-year old transgender woman who was killed on February 8, 2017 in Toldeo, Ohio from a single gunshot wound to the torso. She was found in an empty garage on Austin Street in North Toledo.

The victim's mother, Shanda Striker believes the murder was not random and that it was a hate crime. Police believe that JoJo's criminal past may have been an aspect of her murder.

The Murder of Mesha Caldwell (UNSOLVED)

Mesha Caldwell was a forty-one-year old transgender hairstylist and makeup artist who was killed on January 4, 2017 in Canton, Mississippi.

Mesha was shot multiple times, although where and with what caliber of weapon is unknown. Her body was found shortly after death on Heindl Road near Old Yazoo City Road in Madison County.

Caldwell was described as a "kind and popular person".

The Thirty Year Anniversary of Venus Xtravaganza's Murder

Thirty years ago today, December 21, 1988 a petite transsexual named Venus Xtravaganza was snubbed from the world after being killed by a client while working as an escort. Venus, later made famous by the documentary, Paris is Burning was not known to the world then but would later become an icon for her reads "You wanna talk about reading?" and "You're just an overgrown orangutan" featured in the aforementioned film. Happier times for a hopeful pre-operative transsexual with dreams of becoming a professional model, Venus was immortalized on screen as a murder victim in a case that's still unsolved.

After escaping a violent john while street hustling, Venus went to work for a friend's escort service described by a couple of other friends as "an abandoned building with a phone line put in it" that was ran by an "old fat tranny". The madam most likely spoke to the killer hours before Venus' murder; setting up a call for early December 21st at a seedy hourly hotel (which is still open to this day). Venus had plans to meet a family friend for brunch that same day, but never showed up. She was most likely dead at this point; rumors swirling that she either was caught stealing money from a client or wanted more drugs; views that differ from the typical liberal left that believes she was killed over being transgender, despite openly advertising as pre-operative.

Xtravaganza had a rough life; getting into drugs around the age of thirteen starting off with weed and acid before getting deeper into cocaine after the unrelated murder of her boyfriend, Rico, just eight months before she was killed. Rico (last name unknown at the time of this writing) was a bisexual "gay for pay" adult film actor with a penchant for cocaine; forcing Venus to escort frequently to afford more cocaine. After a drug deal gone wrong on April 22 in Times Square, Rico was shot in the chest by an "older African-American female drug dealer" "tall and wearing a long brown coat". The two had a disagreement that escalated over Rico's coke being cut with baking soda. Venus hid behind a car after Rico warned her the talk could get ugly. She raced out to his side after he was shot; scaring off the drug dealer. Venus laid on Rico's chest as he bled to death in the streets. Times Square was not then how we know now. It was cold and dark, with few people out unless they were engaging in similar behaviors.

Rico's death left Venus feeling helpless, as he had saved her from a potential fight in Times Square years earlier. Cocaine was what kept them together in the end, and what tore them apart; also possibly playing a factor in Venus' untimely death. She was strangled at the hotel before being stuffed under the bed. She was found four days later by a housekeeper. The murder remains unsolved.  

The Murder of India Monroe (UNSOLVED)

India Monroe was a twenty-nine-year old transgender woman who was killed on December 21, 2016 in Newport News, Virginia by multiple gunshot wounds, when someone may have come into her and her partner's home. Her partner, thirty-seven-year old, Mark Gray, was also shot but it is unknown if he survived. There was no sign of forced entry, so police are ruling the incident domestic and not a hate crime.

Unfortunately according to friend, Magen Shannel, on January 3, 2017 at India's funeral she was mistreated when she, an obvious transgender woman, was dressed as male with her hair cut and wearing a suit, along with gloves on her hands (most likely to cover a manicure gotten before death). High school acquaintance, Brittany Marquis said of the mistreatment of India that "I know for a fact Monroe would not want to be buried that way" going on to say "She'd want to have her nails done, hair done, looking amazing, because that's what she liked."

Friend, William Bailey said of Monroe that he believes she identified as female since at least 2009 but wasn't sure when she first began to transition from male to female. Marquis says that she isn't sure that the petite 5'2" tall India was out to all of her family members.

The Murder of Noony Norwood (UNSOLVED)

Noony Norwood was a thirty-year old transgender woman who was killed on November 5, 2016 in Richmond, Virginia. She was killed by gunshot five days after her thirtieth birthday; dying the day after being shot.

Noony was found dead at the 2700 block of Hull Street in Richmond, Virginia's South side. A man seen near the area is of interest to police, with an image of the man being released. Although grainy, investigators hope to get an enhanced version of the photo to distribute, in the hopes of bringing him in for questioning. The man is described as: Black, thirty to forty years old, 6'2" to 6'4", and weighing approximately 290 pounds.

Zakia McKensey, Director of Nationz Foundation, was a close friend of Norwood's; calling her "daughter", common in the drag community when there is a "mother-daughter style" mentorship. This was so because according to Zakia, Noony had just begun her transition from male to female through wearing women's clothing full-time; entertaining at home but McKensey is unsure if Noony wanted to begin a career as an entertainer outside of her home. The two met fourteen years prior to Norwood's murder, when Norwood was looking for drag advice, not in regards to performing, more so just in general. 

The Murder of Brandi Bledsoe (SOLVED)

Brandi Bledsoe was a thirty-two-year old transgender woman originally from Nebraska who was killed on October 8 or 12, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio.

Brandi was found dead in a driveway behind a home on Drexel Avenue near East 108th Street in Cleveland. Her body, clad only in underwear with plastic bags covering her head and hands, was discovered by two brothers; one five years of age and the other being twelve years of age, as the rode their bikes in the neighborhood. The official cause of death was listed as a gunshot wound to the chest; it is still unclear as to why her face and hands were covered.

Two Bedford Heights people were charged with Bledsoe's murder; surrendering to police although a motive for the homicide is still not known. The two individuals are a twenty-nine-year old transgender woman, Michelle Cole and thirty-year old genetic female, Heidi Krudy.

Brandi worked a day job at Home Depot but aspired to be an artist, her specialty being animation.

The Murder of Jazz Alford (SOLVED)

Jazz Alford was a thirty-year old transgender woman who was killed on September 23, 2016 at the Kings Inn, in Birmingham, Alabama. She pulled into the motel after car trouble forced her to stay in the city for the night, as she was traveling to meet a transgender friend, Toya Milan. Toya believes that prostitution played a role in Jazz's death; implying Alford was an escort, however reports state that Alford worked as a reservation agent for U.S. Airways.

Jazz was found dead on the floor in her motel room, shot multiple times. On May 5, 2017 twenty-two-year old, Denzell Thomas was indicted for the murder of Alford as well as attempted murder and first-degree robbery in another case, most likely of another transgender victim, who survived.

According to an anonymous friend, Jazz traveled a lot; enjoying visiting Atlanta, Georgia and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania the most. She was also a very spiritual person who enjoyed to sing.

The Murder of Crystal Edmonds (UNSOLVED)

Crystal Edmonds was a thirty-two-year old transgender woman who was murdered on September 16, 2016 in Baltimore, Maryland. She was shot twice in the back of the head. Residents in the 3600 Block of Fairview Avenue in northwest Baltimore heard the gunshots at about 3:18 AM; calling police. Police responded; taking Crystal to the hospital, where she later died from her injuries.

No suspects have been located at this time and there have been very few leads; however investigators believe the case may be related to prostitution, as the area where Edmonds was found had some complaints from residents, with resident Sandra Johnson saying, (paraphrased) "It's terrible around here late at night. They're all around here and in my back alley, everywhere."

The Murder of T.T. Saffore (UNSOLVED)

T.T. Saffore was a twenty-eight-year old transgender woman who was murdered on September 11, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. T.T. was found on the West Side of Chicago lying next to train tracks with multiple stab wounds to her body. A knife, believed to be the murder weapon, was found nearby.

It is believed that another unnamed trans woman may be the killer, as friend of Saffore's said in a statement, "Three days before her death she got into an altercation with another trans woman on Madison." going on to say "The girl pulled a knife on her and said "I'm going to get you killed."" T.T. didn't report the incident to the police out of fear of being mistreated for being transgender, with the friend, Jaliyah Armstrong saying "People don't know what we go through out here. I just want justice for my friend. Trans lives matter. She is the third person killed around here and there is nothing done about it."

Jaliyah remembers Saffore as a "happy, cheerful person" saying (paraphrased) "You could be going through a bad day, but once you saw her all of that would change."

The Murder of Rae'Lynn Thomas (SOLVED)

Rae'Lynn Thomas was a twenty-eight-year old transgender woman who was murdered on August 10, 2016 in Columbus, Ohio by James Allen Byrd, the long-time boyfriend of Rae'Lynn's mother. She was described as "the entertainer of the family"; being the life of every party.

On August 10, 2016, for unknown reasons, James shot Rae'Lynn multiple times then continued by beating her to death, all in front of her mother. He was arrested but was proven incompetent to stand trial, so he was sentenced by Judge Guy Reece of Franklin County in Ohio, to serve one year in a psychiatric hospital, until a treatment believed to be able to fix him, will take effect. Since I haven't been able to find recent reports about the case from this or last year, I believe the treatment(s) did not work; so Byrd is most likely still in the mental hospital.

Despite the psychiatric ward sentencing, the Thomas family believes that James is pretending to be mentally unstable; claiming he "knew exactly what he was doing". The family is hoping a hate crime charge can be filed; however hate crime protections for LGBT people in Ohio does not exist.

Was Skye Mockabee Murdered?

Skye Mockabee was a twenty-six-year old transgender woman who was found dead on August 1, 2016 at eight a.m. in the parking lot of granite and stone products store, Ecclesiastic Granite Fab by the owner, located on West 130th Street in Cleveland, Ohio. Skye was found lying face down and bleeding from her: eyes, nose, and mouth. She had a bruise near her right eyebrow, a small cut and bruise on her nose, and a bruise in the middle of her forehead. She also had scrapes on her left forearm and on each of the heels of her feet. According to the medical examiner's office, Mockabee was not wearing any shoes and only had on one sock. They also noted that both of the bottoms of her feet were dirty.

Toxicology reports show that she took a lethal dose of cocaine the night before her body was discovered. The trauma above her left eye was noted as being minor. Her death is not being investigated as a homicide; however it is still ongoing. Despite this, Skye's family believes that she was murdered because of the fact that she was transgender. Perhaps she may have been forced to use large amounts of cocaine resulting in an overdose to mask an actual homicide? Mockabee's live-in boyfriend says that she went out with a man that she met on July 31st. Maybe this man discovered that she was transgender and didn't care for it, for whatever reason? Seems like a bit of a stretch to me. Personally I believe that the victim was an addict who may have overdosed on her own, not necessarily suicide, but maybe she died with the man she met on July 31st and he never reported it; dumping her body at the granite/stone products store?

The Murder of Dee Whigham (SOLVED)

Dee Whigham was a twenty-five-year old transgender nurse who was murdered on July 23, 2016 at a hotel in St. Martin, Mississippi by twenty-three-year old, Dwanya Hickerson.

From what I've read I believe Dwanya used the trans-panic defense method for his crime against Dee; stabbing her one-hundred-ninety times after having anal sex with her. He claimed he "didn't know" she was transgender; however unless she was post-operative, how could he not have known? Evidence shows he burned Whigham's cellphone before dumping it in a fire pit at a beach in Biloxi. Since investigators couldn't find any interaction between the two prior to the day Dee was killed, they could not prove a "heat of passion" case against Hickerson; in what would have yielded a stronger sentence of manslaughter in the state of Mississippi.

While some believe Dwanya's sentence of only thirty-five years for the murder and eight years for robbery is "too small", District Attorney, Tony Lawrence explains that if convicted of manslaughter in the case of Dee Whigham, Dwanya would have only been sentenced to twenty years in prison, only to be released after ten years. Even a simple murder conviction would still allow him to petition the court to be released from prison as early as the age of fifty-five-years old. The number of stab wounds is a proof of murder, but not manslaughter due to Mississippi's "heat of passion" rule for determining said crime. Going with the murder charge ensures Hickerson will be in prison until the age of sixty-years old. In other words, concerns prosecutors had was that every piece of evidence could be argued either way; resulting in a prosecution of a lesser charge or even an acquittal.

Prosecutors subpoenaed Dee's: phone records, emails, and iCloud pages; however all they could find to prove that the two had been communicating long before the murder, may have occurred on a private messaging app, which cannot be traced. All they could find were messages between the two the day of the murder. Statements from witnesses knew Whigham but did not show that they knew Dee and Dwanya had a previous relationship. The burning of Whigham's cellphone could have been the "smoking gun" to show previous messages between the two. However I feel that the amount of stab wounds and the fact that the phone was destroyed by Hickerson proved to the judge that they knew each other longer than he let on; allowing for the harsher sentence.

The Murder of Deeniquia Dodds (SOLVED)

Deeniquia "Dee Dee" Dodds was a twenty-two-year old transgender woman who was working as a prostitute. She was shot by three men on July 4, 2016; dying nine days later from her injuries at a hospital in Washington, D.C.. The motive for the crime was robbery at the hands of: Jalonte Little, Monte T. Johnson, and Cyheme Hall. A hate crime charge was also issued by the U.S. Attorney's Office; however the lawyer for Cyheme Hall believes the hate crime charge is a "leap" considering he found no information in the initial statements that the victim, as well as other transgender women targeted by the men, were put in harms way because of their gender identity. Johnson's attorney declined to comment, while Little's attorney was not immediately available.

According to a ten-page indictment, three men riding in a white Pontiac spotted Deeniquia on the 200 Block of Division Street NE at three a.m. After robbing her of small items such as: cellphones, earphones, and Metro cards, Dodds was shot in the neck.

Addition of the hate crime charges could alter a sixty year sentence for first-degree murder while armed to ninety years in prison. A fourth person, not listed in the indictment, Shareem Hall of District Heights, Maryland had a hearing scheduled for May 2017. Cyheme and Johnson, twenty-one-years old and Jalonte Little, twenty-six-years old faced formal charges in Superior Court in March 2017; however the outcome is unknown.

The Murder of Goddess Diamond (UNSOLVED)

Goddess Diamond is a nickname given to a transgender woman who died from blunt-force trauma before being burned in a car fire. Media reports list her given name and by male pronouns. Her chosen name is unknown, so trans writer, Venus Selenite gave the victim the first name "Goddess" until her chosen name becomes known.

Diamond was a twenty-year old transgender woman who worked at retail giant, Walmart, in New Orleans, Louisiana. She was murdered in New Orleans on June 5, 2016 in a homicide with no clear motive. No hate crime has been issued by police. Family of the victim remember her as "kind and loving" going on to say "she had a big heart". Friend and co-worker, George Melichar said of his late friend that she was "very loved" and "very kind"; only making her death harder saying "In addition to losing a friend, we lost an LGBT leader." Prior to her murder, Goddess had lived in Georgia; staying there to escape the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. She had only recently returned to Louisiana for unknown reasons.

The Murder of Mercedes Successful (UNSOLVED)

Mercedes Successful was a thirty-two-year old recently-out transgender woman who had begun hormone replacement therapy one month before being murdered on May 15, 2016 in Haines City, Florida. Successful, a native of Kingston, Jamaica came to America, originally settling in New York before re-locating to central Florida.

She worked as a performer, remembered by friends as "a big girl who often did demanding stunts, such as handstands during her shows". The music she performed was personal to her; being that it was inspired by the Caribbean. With that being said she represented her country as a competitor in the 2014 Miss Gay Caribbean USA pageant; donning a Jamaican flag dress and high-heeled black boots. A true entertainer, Mercedes took the initiative to sew her own costumes and create her own accessories as well as always greeting the other performers and ask them how they were doing. A friend elaborated, "She never seemed to be caught up in any sort of ruckus or discourse."

The opposite took place on May 15, 2016 behind a Haines City Big Lots and Tractor Supply Co. parking lot. Successful, clad in: a t-shirt, shorts, and sneakers, she had been shot to death in a homicide that is still unsolved. The Haines City Police Department were the first on the scene; ruling it a homicide but have not stated a motive for murder. A hate crime is not believed to be the reason for her death.

The Murder of Tyreece Walker (SOLVED)

Tyreece Walker was a thirty-two-year old transgender woman who was murdered on May 1, 2016 in her apartment in Wichita, Kansas. Tyreece worked the front desk at the complex on the 2500 block of W. Wildwood where she lived and was ultimately murdered. According to a friend only identified as Victoria, Walker aspired to get a college degree in either psychology or social work, so that she could become a counselor, to help others with similar issues that she faced.

On May 1, 2016 at 9:50 PM officers were called to investigate a reported disturbance at South Richmond Avenue and Wildwood Lane in Wildwood Park. Upon entering Tyreece's apartment, police found her body inside, dead from apparent stab wounds. Two days later a sixteen-year old boy was charged with the murder, with police saying they do not believe that a hate crime occurred due to their investigation uncovering the crime was not motivated by bias. Police are also investigating claims that Walker attempted to sexually assault the minor. A friend of the victim's said that the attempted sexual assault allegation by the suspect's family were completely false and that it was "out-of-character" for Tyreece.

The friend states that Walker had been getting harassed by residents of the apartment complex and Wichita residents in general; even going as far as to leave items at her door. Social media posts by people claiming to have known Tyreece say that she "kept them laughing all the time". A GoFundMe page set up by the victim's friends to cover funeral costs, describe her as "a loving, playful spirit, who only wanted the best for others." going on to say "She would have given her last piece of bread to make sure others were not hungry."

In 2018 the teenager charged in the homicide was sentenced to serve time in juvenile corrections until the age of twenty-two-and-a-half years old with aftercare until age twenty-three-years old. If the teen violates his sentence or aftercare, he could face one-hundred-sixty-five months in an adult prison.

The Murder of Keyonna Blakeney (SOLVED)

Keyonna Blakeney was a twenty-two-year old transgender woman working as a prostitute at a Red Roof Inn, in Rockville, Maryland. She was murdered by Washington, D.C. residents, Keith Christopher Renier and Arbra Arine Bethea in a robbery gone wrong.

The murder occurred on April 16, 2016 in room number one-hundred-seventy four at the Red Roof Inn, in Rockville, Maryland after Arbra (who knew Keyonna) planned to rob Blakeney with Keith. Posing as a new customer, using Renier's cellphone, Bethea made several calls to Keyonna before meeting her at the hotel, a hotel which Blakeney, an escort, was using as a private place to engage in prostitution.

When Keyonna was greeted by Arbra, also seeing Keith, the robbery was initiated. Blakeney most likely fought back; being stabbed repeatedly during the process. An affidavit by Montgomery County police shows through a confidential source that Bethea and Renier are the suspects. Investigators also gathered additional evidence that the two were involved, by utilizing cellphone records and interviews with an Uber driver, who brought the two men to the hotel from Arbra's home in Southeast D.C.. The affidavit also reveals that the two men confessed to family members of the killing.

Both Arbra and Keith were charged with first degree murder in 2016; however their charges were reduced the following year due to both accepting plea deals. Keith who was twenty-two-years old at the time of the stabbing, was sentenced on August 22, 2017 to thirty years in prison for second-degree murder. Arbra, who was seventeen-years old at the time of the homicide, was sentenced on November 9, 2017 to ten years in prison for accessory to the fact second-degree murder.

The Murder of Shante Isaac (SOLVED)

Shante Isaac was a thirty-four-year old transgender woman who was murdered on April 10, 2016 in Houston, Texas. A recent friend of hers, Willie Sims, a thirty-three-year old man was also killed in the attack, which family of Isaac's believe the murder of their daughter stems from an argument Shante had with another transgender woman over a man.

On April 10, 2016 at 11:15 PM Shante and Willie were walking on 1100 Dennis Street when they were attacked by a group of people. One of those people fired a gun; hitting Sims, as he pushed Isaac out of the way. The group then pulled out metal pipes to beat the two to death.

Tariq Lackings, a twenty-three-year old man was arrested in August of that year on charges of capital murder in the death of Shante and Willie. The charge was later reduced to murder for the death of Isaac. The murder case was solved thanks to an eyewitness, Rique Jackson, who was also a member of the group who killed Shante and Willie. He states that he wanted to tell the story of what happened to "set the record straight"; however prosecutors believe he snitched on Tariq to reduce a ten-year prison sentence he was facing, to six months, for a choking incident to his mother.

Rique alleges he was living with Lackings at the time of the murders and that he (Tariq) woke him up to go pick up their friend, a transgender woman, and settle a score with Isaac over a brawl between her and the unnamed trans woman; which occurred at a McDonald's a few days earlier. Jackson continues by saying that Shante threw a bottle at the group, who then retaliated by beating her and her friend with bricks. Attorney for Tariq Lackings, Paul Morgan states that believes this not to be a hate crime, rather that Rique, a recently sober man was out of rehab and looking to get high. Paul alleges that Jackson brought a knife to what he thought was a cocaine buy. Morgan continues by stating he believes that the murders occurred between two rival groups who bought and sold drugs among themselves.

Tariq is currently awaiting his trial in Harris County Jail on a two-hundred-fifty thousand dollar bond.

DNA Doe Project Launches Subdivision, Trans Doe Task Force

On September 14, 2018 at 12:25 AM the Facebook page for Trans Doe Task Force went live. The task force is a division of the DNA Doe Project, a not-for-profit which uses genealogy testing to identify victims of: homicide, auto accidents, etc. After they announced that they would be working on the Julie Doe case, an unidentified transgender homicide victim from Florida, activist Lincoln Rose got in contact with Margaret Press (co-founder of DNA Doe Project).

Lincoln is an advocate and activist with Trans Cold Cases, an initiative which seeks to highlight transgender victims of homicide, that often go unnoticed. Through Rose's research, he has found that an alarming number of transgender homicide victims aren't recognized, as they are often misgendered by law enforcement; causing the exact number of trans homicides; particularly ones that are unsolved, to "slip through the cracks".

It is unknown the exact conversation exchanged between Press and Lincoln; however the Trans Doe Task Force most likely arose out of said conversation, after Rose had concerns about the exact reporting of gender and naming (posted on one of DDP's statuses), if Julie happens to be identified soon, along with other trans victims.

Trans Doe Task Force will most likely be handling the Julie Doe case as well as: Markham Ontario Doe, Dane County Doe, and Ocean Parkway Doe, although an exact list of cases have not been published at the time of this writing.

For more information, give them a like on Facebook at Trans Doe Task Force 

The Murder of Quartney Davia Dawsonn-Yochum (SOLVED)

Quartney Davia Dawsonn-Yochum (also known as Kourtney Yochum) was a transgender woman who was murdered on March 23, 2016 as she walked her two dogs through Los Angeles' Skid Row area. It is believed that she was killed by gunshot by her ex-boyfriend whose name has not been released. She was thirty-two years old.

The murder took place at the 500 block of South San Pedro Street in Los Angeles, California at 1:20 PM. A mob, surprised that the murder happened in broad daylight, crowded around the killer until security guards took him into custody until police arrived. The motive for the murder was listed as an "intimate partner dispute"; however no further details were given.

Quartney lived at Gateways Apartments, as she tried to rebuild her life. Gateways is described as a one-hundred-seven unit permanent housing project for formerly chronic homeless individuals.

The Murder of Demarkis Stansberry (SOLVED)

Demarkis Stansberry was a thirty-year old transgender man who was murdered on February 27, 2016 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Demarkis was shot in the head by twenty-four-year old Nickolas Matthews, in what he claims was an "accident" after thinking he had unloaded all of his clip on New Year's Eve. Nickolas turned himself in to local police the day of the murder, later confessing to the crime. Demarkis was shot before 11:30 AM. Police entered the home to find Stansberry dead; pronouncing him as so at the scene of the crime.

Matthews is in custody at the parish jail on charges of: negligent homicide, illegal use of a weapon (Nickolas is a felon and is not legally able to own a gun), and possession of a firearm by a felon.

The motive for the murder is unknown; however according to Nickolas' brother Frederick, he claims he saw the murder weapon tucked into Nickolas' waistband, when he went to the home to pick up DJ equipment. At first Frederick claimed to have been in another room when the murder occurred; seeing an unknown perpetrator fleeing the scene but later changed his story to say his brother murdered Demarkis.

Despite an unknown motive, the murder was no accident. According to news outlets, Matthews had to have been standing next to Stansberry when he was shot, as the bullet entered his skull at point-blank range.

The Murder of Maya Young (SOLVED)

Maya Young was a twenty-five-year old transgender woman who was fatally stabbed on February 20, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by nineteen-year old Jose Pena and twenty-four-year old Tiffany Floyd.

Maya was found on February 20 by police on the 4800 block of Penn Street with multiple stab wounds to her neck and chest, still breathing, she was taken to Aria Frankford Hospital where she succumbed to her injuries.

It is unclear how Tiffany was caught; however Jose was ratted out by Tiffany, with police being able to verify that he was involved. The motive for the murder also remains unclear. Both are facing murder and conspiracy charges.

Transgender Woman Found Dead In Motel Bathtub-Was She Murdered?

Victoria Banks Cano was a transgender nurse originally from Pleasanton, Texas. On February 19, 2016 Victoria was found dead by police in a motel room bathtub at the El Mio on the 3500 block of Roosevelt Avenue. She was fully clothed with a little bit of water in the tub, but no obvious signs of trauma. Other patrons sharing the room with Cano were questioned; however the outcome of that questioning is unknown at the time of this writing. With no signs of trauma and no known statements from any of the other patrons, Trans True Crime asks "Was Victoria murdered? Or did she just die naturally in an unusual place?"

According to friends, Victoria was a certified nurse's assistant at a retirement home in Pleasanton. Despite working in Pleasanton, Cano had relocated to San Antonio, Texas in 2012.

Victoria is buried at San Jose Burial Park.

Is Kayden Clarke's Murder Actually Solved?

Today Trans True Crime will profile the case of transgender man, Kayden Clarke. Kayden is Trans True Crime's first trans male entry!

Kayden Clarke was a transgender man who became well-known on the internet when a video of him showing how his Rottweiler, Samson, helped him to deal with a breakdown. Clarke suffered from Asperger's Syndrome, a condition in which causes the person to ineffectively communicate and socialize with others.

After friend, Heather Allen called 911 asking police to check on Kayden, who had been sending emails to her complaining of suicidal thoughts, police responded saying they were already on their way. When police responded to Clarke's residence, without body cameras, they allege that Clarke ran at them wielding a knife. The cops felt alarmed, so they retaliated with gunfire; killing Kayden. He was just twenty-four-years old.

Clarke's mother, Stacia disputes police's claims; arguing that Kayden was not posing a threat when police came to his home; going on to say that the police barged into his home without permission. Soon thereafter they killed him for no apparent reason.

Samson, who was adopted by Kayden from friend, Heather Allen's HALO Animal Rescue shelter was taken in by his family.

With all of the hearsay from both sides, Trans True Crime asks the question, "Is Kayden Clarke's murder really solved?" 

The Murder of Jasmine Sierra (UNSOLVED)

Jasmine Sierra was a fifty-two-year old transgender woman who was murdered on January 22, 2016 in Bakersfield, California. She was found dead in her apartment on the 1000 block of Monterey Street by police who say her body showed obvious signs of trauma and that foul play is suspected. Police revealed that neighbors of Jasmine's heard gunshots and fighting from her residence; however police refuse to go into further detail, with the circumstances surrounding Sierra's death unknown.

A vigil was held on March 12, 2016 to honor Jasmine, as it took LGBT groups one month to realize Jasmine was murdered, because she was dead named by police and media outlets.

The Murder of Monica Loera (SOLVED)

Monica Loera was a transgender woman who was murdered on January 22, 2016 in Austin, Texas. Through using the website, Backpage to advertise her sexual services as an escort, Monica met her final client, a man named JonCasey Rowell. He shot her after he claimed "self-defense" alleging that after Loera asked him to get condoms from his car for their encounter (leaving behind his jacket and wallet in Monica's home in the process), when he returned Monica gave him his jacket but thought she had stolen his wallet (but it was in his jacket pocket). Angry, he went back to his car to retrieve a gun, which he used to shoot and kill Loera. He claims when he approached her door, she met him with a baseball bat, even though there was no bat recovered from her home. Roommates of Monica's heard a noise reminiscent of a firecracker; following with Loera saying "he shot me".

He most likely fled thereafter; returning home to his wife and then-ten day old baby. Described as a churchgoing tight-knit family with a love for guns, the state showed JonCasey's computer search history to jurors. The search history revealed an item from one day after Monica's murder which read "Approximately how many people get away with murder each year in The United States". Rowell then continued searching for transgender escorts. Thankfully no more people were harmed by this man.

Most likely caught from police searching his IP address, JonCasey was arrested and charged with murder. He was found guilty on November 6, 2017, in a trial which began on October 31 of the same year. Prosecutors asked for forty-five years; however Rowell was sentenced to only twenty years for the crime. 

The Murder of Lamia Beard (UNSOLVED)

Today Trans True Crime will be profiling the homicide of Lamia Beard, a transgender woman from Norfolk, Virginia. I didn't know Lamia; however this is personal for me, as Virginia is my home state.

Born on April 21, 1984 Lamia was a graduate of Lake Taylor High School, where she played in the marching band, later becoming a member of another band, the Norfolk State Spartan Legion Marching Band; well-versed in the instruments: flute, oboe, piccolo, cymbals, and piano. After graduation from high school in 2002, Beard was accepted on a full scholarship to Bethune Cook College. Fluent in French as well as English, she was fascinated with different cultures, often traveling to other areas. A music lover, Beard sang well, enjoyed dancing and was a pro with the makeup brush. Her favorite singer was Beyonce. Lamia is remembered as "walking in her truth as a genuine person and was wise beyond her years." She is loved by many for her humble and giving spirit.

On January 17, 2015 at four a.m. thirty-year old Lamia Beard was found on the 700 block of East 25th Street in Norfolk, Virginia on a sidewalk suffering from a gunshot wound. She was taken to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital where she later died. Unsure with a motive or suspect in Beard's death, police were left "scratching their heads" as just two-and-a half hours later an unidentified man was shot on a nearby street, but investigators are not sure if both shootings are related. The unidentified male survived his injuries.

A crowdfunding campaign was set up to raise two-thousand dollars for Lamia's funeral expenses. It is unknown if that goal was met; however a viewing was held on January 25, 2015 with the funeral service being held the following day. She was buried at Riverside Cemetery in Norfolk, Virginia.

As of the time of this writing, no new developments have been made public about the case and it is still unsolved.

The Murder of Yazmin Vash Payne (SOLVED)

Yazmin (often spelled Yasmin) Vash Payne was a thirty-three-year old transgender woman who was murdered on January 31, 2015 in a dispute with her twenty-seven-year old boyfriend, Ezekiel Jamal Dear while they were in their Los Angeles, California apartment. To this day it is still unclear what the argument was about. Yazmin was killed by several stab wounds before having the apartment set on fire by Ezekiel.

On February 1 of that year, Dear confessed to the murder after turning himself in to police. Initially charged with murder, by October 2015 Ezekiel was charged with the lesser offense of voluntary manslaughter; being found guilty by a jury and sentenced to twelve years and eight months in prison.

Is Taja DeJesus' Murder Technically Solved?

Born on this day in 1975, Taja Gabrielle DeJesus, an activist at Trans Thrive, a non-profit community center in San Francisco was very vocal about issues in the transgender community such as health and disparity. Described by Trans Thrive program manager, Nikki Calma as "always very bubbly and outspoken" Taja was "always the first to volunteer" going on to say "she just wanted to participate in everything." Nikki ends her statement by saying "She (DeJesus) was well-known and will definitely be missed." On February 1, 2015 Taja was found in a Bayview stairwell, murdered by stab wounds on the 1400 block of McKinnon Avenue at nine a.m. in San Francisco, California.

Taja was born in San Jose, California but later moved to San Francisco due to its more accepting nature of LGBT people. Her sister Erika says this was due to "the streets and dance clubs were more tolerant." Described by mother Pamela as "a strong-willed and giving young woman", DeJesus was active as a volunteer at a Bayview church and food pantry in addition to her work with Trans Thrive. 
A fiery and independent person, DeJesus filled out the paperwork at age fifteen-years old to get a job; taking the train without permission to San Francisco just to work. Taja, a music lover, used her earnings to buy her first stereo, a stereo in which would always play either Prince or Madonna.

Police suspect Taja's boyfriend, forty-nine-year old James Hayes of committing the murder, a motive which remains unknown. Unfortunately he committed suicide days later by hanging. James was located a half mile away from where Taja was found, hanging from his neck on a fence behind a warehouse. San Francisco Police Department spokesman, Albie Esparza isn't saying much about the case, except for that they're not ruling it a hate crime.

With all of this being said, Trans True Crime asks "Is Taja's case technically solved?"

The Murder of Penny Proud (UNSOLVED)

Penny Proud was a transgender woman who was fatally shot on February 10, 2015 at 1:30 AM by an unknown assailant in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Police are reporting that the murder occurred in the midst of a robbery on the 1100 block of Claiborne Avenue in the Treme District of New Orleans. No other details have been given about Penny's death and as of the time of this writing, her murder remains unsolved.

The Murder of Kristina Grant Infiniti (UNSOLVED)

Kristina Gomez Reinwald, known professionally as Kristina Grant Infiniti was a forty-six-year old transgender performer, well-known in the LGBT Miami club scene. On February 15, 2015 Kristina was found dead in her Southwest Miami home from what was originally reported by news station, WTVJ as a suicide but was later ruled a homicide by police.

Days before it was concluded by police that she had in fact been murdered, rumors were circulating on social media by trans activists that she was murdered by her boyfriend and or ex-boyfriend. Investigators revealed that there was no forced entry into Kristina's home; suggesting she knew her killer. This makes previous claims of the killer being her (ex)boyfriend plausible.

Shortly after Kristina's death, local trans activists held a candlelight vigil in her honor at the Torch of Friendship, a monument on Biscayne Boulevard at Fourth Street in Miami. As of the time of this writing, Kristina's murder remains unsolved. 

The Murder of Keyshia Blige (UNSOLVED)

On March 7, 2015 thirty-three-year old transgender woman Keyshia Blige was murdered in Chicago, Illinois while driving with a twenty-one-year old male friend. Keyshia, a performer who gravitated towards songs by Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston with some modern hits by Ariana Grande and Beyonce had begun medically transitioning from male-to-female in January of that year and was described by friend, Sasha Love as "the happiest I had ever seen her once she started transitioning".

Despite being murdered in March of that year, it took months for LGBT groups to take notice, as police and local media deadnamed Blige and referred to her by male pronouns. Another report still referred to Keyshia by her given name and pronouns; however they stated that she then-recently started taking hormones to live as a woman. It wasn't until close friend, Sasha Love went to The Guardian with claims that Blige was in fact transgender and was using female pronouns at the time of her death, that LGBT groups began to notice.

Keyshia who was driving the car on the 200 block of LaSalle Street when she was struck in the shoulder by several bullets, was taken to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead. Her friend survived after she tried driving to the hospital once struck, however she collided with a Jeep en route to said hospital. Her Navy Blue car crashed into a parking lot, where paramedics found her and took her to the hospital. Neither the car nor the friend were injured. Media relations manager for the Aurora Police Department, Dan Ferrelli issued a statement saying they are not investigating Blige's death as a hate crime but are investigating other potential leads. They have yet to confirm what these leads are but are saying that the shooting was "not random".

Friends and family say she was friendly to the male passenger; giving him a ride when asked the night before. The friends later said that this was symbolic of the kind of person that she was-helping others in need.

The Murder of London Kiki Chanel (SOLVED)

In May 2015 London Kiki Chanel, a twenty-one-year old transgender woman was murdered at an abandoned house in North Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Originally from Victoria, Texas, London moved to Pennsylvania several years before her murder; living at Covenant House, an LGBT youth shelter and crisis center in Germantown.

Raheam Felton, a thirty-one year old man plead guilty to third-degree murder and possession of an instrument of crime. He apologized for the crime. The reasoning for Chanel's murder was that she allegedly "snitched" about Raheam "sexually touching" her the previous year. Both inside an abandoned building on the 2200 block of Ingersoll Street, an argument ensued between the two over London's accusations of sexual assault against Felton. This led Raheam to stab her twice in the back and once in the neck with a pocketknife inside a middle bedroom on the third floor of the building.

Rahaem and an unnamed witness carried Chanel's body out of the house; placing her on the front lawn and onto quilts to perform CPR. The pair saw a School District of Philadelphia officer patrolling the area. They flagged him down, with him calling Philadelphia police, who took both Felton and the witness into custody. While in custody, Raheam confessed to the murder. Chanel was rushed to Hahnemann University Hospital where she was pronounced dead shortly after one a.m.

Investigators believe London's murder to be domestic in nature and are not labeling it a hate crime. In June 2016 a judge sentenced Rahaem Felton to twenty-two to forty-four years in prison. 

The Murder of India Clarke (SOLVED)

India Clarke was a transgender aspiring hairdresser who was murdered on July 21, 2015 in Tampa, Florida. Originally reported to have died at a family-friendly park in Tampa from blunt-force trauma, it has been proven that India actually died from a gunshot wound to the head. She also had a gunshot wound to one of her arms but this was most likely not fatal.

It is unclear why Clarke was murdered; however through DNA analysis, her killer was identified quickly as Keith Lamayne Gaillard, an eighteen-year-old man. Keith and India were most likely at the park to have sex as a condom containing semen matching Gaillard's DNA was found in India's car, a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu, parked a short distance away. Shortly after sex, India was killed by Keith; being found hours later by a maintenance worker who was doing some general cleaning of the park and its surrounding areas. The park, University Area Community Center was described as a "family friendly park". Investigators responded; finding Clarke on the ground dead from a gunshot wound to her head. A fingerprint on a cigar wrapper also matched Keith; placing him in India's car, a rental with New York plates; belonging to Hertz Rental Company.

My honest opinion is that India may have been visiting family or friends in Tampa from New York where she may have been residing. While in Florida, she met up with Gaillard, (whom was later revealed to have had a personal relationship with him); meeting him at the park for sex, as neither her hosts' nor Keith's home were private enough for sex. I imagine Clarke may have possibly performed oral sex on Gaillard with a condom. He may have wanted to progress further but a pre or non-operative Clarke refused; leading Keith to discover she was transgender. If this is true, she may have tried running from her car after scratching Keith's neck with her nails. An already armed Keith shot her out of rage, first hitting her arm, then shooting again, hitting her head. No shell casings were found at the scene but he was clueless enough to leave the condom and cigar wrapper behind. It is unknown if this "personal relationship" was strictly online and the night of the murder was the first time they met, or if it been physical between the two in the past.

Keith's DNA was most likely already in the system, probably taken from a previous arrest. When entering the DNA into a police database, it matched with Gaillard's DNA. Police confronted Keith, who had a scratch on his neck consistent with a fight. This adds up with DNA being found under India's fingernails. Clarke was likely shot with a .22 caliber revolver, consistent with one shown in a Facebook picture of Gaillard's. He allegedly sold the murder weapon to a friend for fifty dollars after admitting to the friend that he "may have murdered someone" with it.

Keith Gaillard was charged with first degree murder and possession of a firearm by a career criminal. He is being held on two-hundred seventy-five thousand dollars bond.