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.