Number 19- Rest In Power and Peace Shantee Tucker

It has been another rough year for Black trans women in terms of once again being the ones most likely to be killed due to anti-trans violence. 

I was traveling, and was distressed to hear while waiting for my connecting flight in Phoenix this morning that we added another name to the already too long list of trans people who have been killed in 2018.  We go to Philadelphia. PA  for the nineteenth person we have lost in the person of Shantee Tucker.

According to reporting from Philadelphia magazine, the 30 year old Tucker was found at 1:05 AM EDT by police officers responding to reports of a shooting at 4300 Old York Road.

Upon arrival they found Tucker lying in the highway suffering from a gunshot would to the back. 
She was taken to Temple University Hospital where she succumbed from her injuries.

The initial police investigation revealed that Tucker had a brief argument with a person or persons in a black older model Ford pickup truck.   Gunshots were subsequently fired at Tucker after the verbal confrontation.   That black Ford truck had bonding on it and no tailgate, and the Philadelphia police are looking for the people in that truck. 

If you have any information concerning this latest murder, you are urged to call the Philadelphia Police Homicide Unit at 215- 686-3334   or 215-686-TIPS (8477)

Tucker unfortunately is now the 14th African American trans and gender nonconforming person killed due to anti-trans violence in the US in 2018 and the thirteenth Black trans feminine person.

What is even more distressing to me is that this is the third Black trans person we have lost in a week and as I write this, I'm hearing unconfirmed reports that we may have another one in New York..

What is also upsetting to me is that Shantee just recently celebrated her 30th birthday on September 2.

Her Black life mattered.   Her Black trans life mattered.  When are our Black legacy orgs going to stand up and speak out publicly about the slaughter of Black trans women and call for its end?

Still waiting for that public statement from you, NAACP.

As of yet, no word about any vigils planned for Shantee, and if I hear any news about them or I'm notified about it in time, I'll pass that info along.

Rest in power and peace, Shantee.  Your family and all who loved you will not rest until the wastes of DNA who committed this crime are caught, prosecuted and rotting in a jail cell.

#StopKillingUs  #StopKillingBlackTransWomen   Stop killing trans people, period

Number 16 - Rest In Peace Diamond Stephens

I just finished writing about the most recent person we have lost to anti-trans violence in Sasha Garden.   Was sent word of our latest trans murder we are just now finding out about courtesy of TransGriot reader Paige Mahogany Parks.

This is why we harp on media and police respecting the pronouns and lives of trans people.   This woman was killed in June, but the community is just now finding out about it because of media and police misgendering

We head to Meridian, MS for the latest report concerning a trans sister who has gone too soon.   And as you probably guessed, she was misgendered and disrespected in death by the local media.

Pay attention WTOK-TV and Carly Blake.  This is how you properly report on the death of a transgender woman.  Pronouns have been corrected from Blake's original story.

39 year old Diamond Stephens was discovered dead Monday afternoon June 18 after Meridian police were called to the scene of an accident in the 2200 block of 26th Avenue in which a van crashed into a home.

Stephens was found dead from a gunshot wound to the back of the head according to Lauderdale County Coroner Clayton Cobler III

"It looked like a single shot from what I could tell without disturbing anything. The body has gone to Jackson for an autopsy and we are just waiting for the investigation to hold there," says Cobler.

Meridian police are still looking for the shooter and a motive in the killing.  MPD Chief Benny Dubose says that the gunshot wound was not self inflicted.

"Number one, she was shot in the back of the head. Number two, it appears that there might have been either one or two other individuals in the vehicle at the time she was shot," explains Chief Dubose.

Chief Dubose says there are currently no suspects in Stephens' murder, but confirmed they do have tips from several citizens.

If anyone has information about this case, you are urged to call Meridian police or Crimestoppers at 855-485-8477.

Stephens sadly is now is the 16th person killed in the US this year, and the tenth African American trans and GNC person we have lost to anti-trans violence in 2018.  She is also sadly as per the ongoing pattern in these killings, under age 40.

#SayHerName, since WTOK-TV, Carly Blake and Chief Benny Dubose have a problem doing so and respecting her Black trans life.  

Not aware at this time of any memorial service or vigils being planned for our fallen sister. 

Rest in power and peace, Diamond.   Your trans siblings and all who loved you won't rest until the person or persons who prematurely ended your life are brought to justice.

TransGriot Update:  My apologies.   Had to rewrite the story because I didn't notice the posted date of the problematic media report from Meridian.   

Diamond was killed back in June and was one of three people we lost that month . 

Keisha Wells Case Update

We have an update in the Keisha Wells murder case in Cleveland.

Wells was found dead in an apartment building  parking lot at 7 AM EDT from a gunshot wound to the abdomen back on June 24.   She had gone to a local bar called Cocktails that evening in Cleveland's Cudell neighborhood.

Eleven shell casings along with a leopard print shoe, a wig and a sweatshirt were also recovered at the scene. 

The person arrested was 27 year old James Butler, a homeless man who helped the shooter move Wells' body from his car, dump it after she was killed and clean the shooter's car.   Butler subsequently told his mother about the crime, and Butler's mother called Cleveland PD to report it.

Butler has been charged with complicity with aggravated murder, and an arrest warrant was issued for him on June 27. 

They are still looking for the shooter in the Wells case, and hopefully once Butler is in police custody, he can give CPD the info they need that will result to the capture and prosecution of the shooter who killed Keisha Wells.. 

Number 15- Rest In Peace Sasha Garden

Sadly I have another trans murder to report.  We head to Orlando, FL for the latest trans person to join the ancestors too soon

The latest person we will be memorializing in November is 27 year old Sasha Garden.   Her Facebook page states that she is from Milwaukee, WI.

And yeah, as you probably guessed, Sasha was deadnamed and horribly disrespected by the local Orlando media and WFTV 9 reporters Ty  Russell and Kevin Williams.   

Read, watch and learn Orlando media, Ty Russell and Kevin Williams, on how to properly and RESPECTFULLY cover a trans person's murder.

We Black trans women are beyond sick and tired of being sick and tired of 'being disrespected in life and in death.

Her body was found at approximately 5 AM EDT behind the Reserve at Lake Buchanan Apartments located at Rio Grande and Holden Ave just east of Orange Blossom Trail.  Orange County Sheriff's Department investigators are presuming she didn't live in the complex where her body was found. 

Coroners arrived on the scene at approximately 8:45 AM as Orange County sheriffs began to canvass the area for information.

Garden is the 15th trans person killed in the US this year, and the ninth African American trans and GNC person we have lost to anti-trans violence in 2018. 

I'm going to say it again because I'm really angry about it right now.

Sasha's Black trans life mattered.  I and my Black trans siblings are getting really sick of media disrespect of dead Black trans women.  It pisses me off even more when it comes from my own people

Rant over, back to the post

This is an active investigation, so if you have information that will lead to the arrest, conviction and incarceration of her killer, you are asked to call OCSD at 407- 254-7000

I'll call out the jacked up reporting later.   As of his moment no word from my Orlando area trans family of a vigil or memorial service, but will pass that info along once I receive it.

Rest in power and peace, Sasha.  Your life was taken away from us way too soon.  Your trans family will not rest until the waste of DNA who committed this crime is brought to justice . 

Number 14- Rest In Power Keisha Wells

It's my sad duty to report courtesy of the Pittsburgh Lesbian Reporters the loss of our second trans person this month  and the 14th in 2018.

We head back to Cleveland to discuss the latest person gone to join the ancestors too soon. 

She is 54 year old Keisha Wells, and she was found dead from a gunshot wound to the abdomen at 7 AM EDT Sunday in the parking lot of an apartment complex on Detroit Avenue near West 87th Street.

As of this time there are no suspects, and if you have any info that can help solve this case you are urged to call the Cleveland Police Department. 

If anyone has a nice photo of Keisha, it would also be nice to have that as well for this article and any subsequent articles about her.

As of this moment no info concerning a vigil or memorial service, and if that happens, will pass that along to you along with any case updates as expeditiously as possible.

Number 13- Rest In Power and Peace Cathalina Christina James

We have lost our thirteenth person to anti-trans violence, and for the third time this year it happened in Jacksonville, FL.

She is 24 year old Cathalina Christina James.  She is originally from Sumter, SC, but according to her Facebook page was in the process of moving to New York. 

After the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office responded to a 1 PM EDT call Sunday at the Quality Inn located in the 8300 block of Dix Ellis Trail, James was found deceased from a gunshot wound in her third floor motel room by emergency responders.

The hotel was ironically located across the street from the JSO District 3 substation.

The only information so far concerning a possible suspect in this murder case is that a male was spotted driving a beige vehicle.

Cathalina is not only the 13th person killed this year and the third in Jacksonville alone, she is the seventh African American trans and GNC person we have lost to anti trans violence this year.

And what continues to sadden and infuriate me is that she was under 30 years of age.

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is looking for any information that will help solve this case.  I you saw something, please call Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS (8477) or JSO's non-emergency line at (904) 630-0500.

If you saw something, no matter how minor you think it is, call JSO so we can bring the perpetrator of this crime to justice.   As of yet no word on a vigil or memorial service for Cathalina, but will pass that info also as I receive it.

There will be a Trans Lives Matter event sponsored by local activists at the Duval County Courthouse tomorrow at 7 PM EDT.   Hope those of you in the Jacksonville area will consider attending it.

Rest in power and peace Cathalina.   You barely got a chance to enjoy your life before it was taken from you.  Your trans and GNC siblings will not only continue to remind people that your Black trans life mattered, we won't rest until your killer is behind bars

Number 12- Rest In Power Antash'a English

I received the news about this while I was in the beginning stages of being waylaid by an illness that kept me miserable all weekend   This is worse than me being sick because we have lost another trans sister.

We have now suffered our 12th murder of the year of a trans person.  For the second time this year it has happened in Jacksonville, FL 

She is 38 year old Antash'a Devine Sherrington English, who is originally from Albany, GA. 

English died of a gunshot wound in a local hospital after being found during the early morning hours on Friday between two abandoned homes in the 1500 block of Ella Street.

English was for nearly ten years a featured performer at the InCahoots nightclub in the city and was known and loved in the community and as a multiple titleholder in the trans pageantry circuit

She had also been living as her unapologetic trans self for over 20 years.

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office however, misgendered her when they announced her death,

According to a neighbor who didn't wish to be identified, someone driving by in a grey car and wearing a grey hoodie shot at her multiple times.

In addition to being the 12th person we have lost to anti- trans violence, she is now the SIXTH African-American trans or GNC person we have lost in 2018 .

And as already noted, she was under age 40. 

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office stated her death is an active murder investigation  JSO is looking for any information or tips that will help solve this case.   Call them at 904-630-0500 or email JSOCrimeTips@JaxSheriff.org. To remain anonymous and be eligible for a cash reward of up to $3,000 for tips that lead to an arrest, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS.

The local community is having on June 7 a candlelight vigil starting at 7:30 PM EDT to remember Antash'a.   The vigil will be followed by a benefit show at InCahoots starting at 9:30 PM EDT.

All proceeds for the benefit show will go to help English's family defray burial expenses.

Rest in power and peace Antash'a.   It's our job to ensure that the memory of you life never fades from this planet and we don't rest until the person who killed you is caught, punished and doing time for it.

Number 11- Rest In Power Gigi Pierce

We've lost another trans person to a murder, and this time we head to the Pacific Northwest for this developing story.

28 year old Gigi Pierce of Boise, ID was shot and killed in downtown Portland, OR. late Monday evening following a disturbance between her and 33 year old Sophia Grace Adler.

Police arrived at the scene along SW 2nd Avenue between SW Ash Street and SW Arkeny Streets at 11:10 PM PDT to find Pierce lying mortally wounded on the sidewalk from a gunshot wound.

Pierce died at the scene after emergency responders administered first aid.

Adler remained at the scene and was subsequently arrested by Portland PD, taken to the Multnomah County Jail and booked on a murder charge. 

Police are not investigating this case as a potential hate crime at this time according to Portland police spokesperson Sgt. Chris Burley.

Adler's last know address was at the Salvation Army Harbor Light emergency shelter for women in downtown Portland less than a block from the crime scene.

Portland Police have released few details about the crime or whether the two women knew each other. If anyone has information, including video surveillance, they should contact Det. Vincent Cui at (503) 823-0449 or via email at vince.cui@portlandoregon.gov.

Unfortunately Gigi Pierce is now the 11th person we have lost this year to anti-trans violence.   Will be passing along more details in this case as I receive them.

Rest in power and peace Gigi.  Your trans family won't rest  until justice is served in this case.

Rest In Power Nicole Hall

As many of you TransGriot readers are aware of, the severely decomposed body an unidentified Black trans woman was pulled out of White Rock Creek in Dallas on May 12.

In order to facilitate identification of our losts trans sister, the Dallas PD created a sketch of our trans sister in order to get public assistance in identifying the body.

Dallas PD asked anyone who had information that would help identify her to contact Detective Chaney with the DPD Homicide Unit at 214-671-3650

Our sis has finally been identified, and her name is Nicole Hall.   She was 39

The Dallas County Coroner has not yet determined a cause of death, so we can't officially call this a murder until that official determination is made by the coroner. 

Nicole was a Dallas native and involved in the local Dallas trans community.according to her longtime friend Shannon Walker. 

As we wait for the cause of death determination, a memorial vigil is being planned for Nicole that will take place on Saturday at 7 PM, with a location to be determined .

A Gofundme  has also been set up for her.  he goal is to raise $900 for her final expenses for transport, cremation and an urn for her ashes. .

Rest in power and peace Nicole.