Blake Brockington Commits Suicide

“I’m still a person, and trans people are still people. Our bodies just don’t match what’s up (in our heads). We need support, not people looking down at us or degrading us or overlooking us. We are still human.”
Blake Brockington

I have mixed emotions as I'm writing this post because I have the sad duty of informing you courtesy of QNotes that history making trans activist Blake Brockington took his own life March 23.

18 year old Brockington made history last year as the first ever African-American trans masculine homecoming king when as an East Mecklenburg High School senior he beat out 12 other nominees and raised $2355.55 for a school chosen charity to win the honor.

Since his graduation from East Mecklenburg HS he has been involved in the #BlackLivesMatter movement, a mentor to other trans kids and an outspoken advocate for our community.  I had the pleasure of meeting and talking to his at the Philadelphia Trans Health Conference to congratulate him on his historic win and tell him how proud I was of him.

And that's one of the parts that is pissing me off and literally has me in tears as I compose this.  Brockington is the third trans person of color youth suicide this year, and that unhappy trend must end.  22 year old Aubrey Mariko Shine jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge February 24, and was preceded by the February 11 death of 19 year old Melonie Rose of Laurel, MD.

And to add insult to both those deaths, the families of Shine and Rose added to the hurt and anger we feel over these death by deliberately erased their trans identities at their funerals

We lost another one of our trans younglings to the ramped up anti-trans violence and hatred.   If #BlackLivesMatter,  don't #BlackTransLivesMatter too?

Trans younglings, your best revenge is living well and setting the goal of living to see your 20th, 30th, 40th, 50th, 60th and 70th birthdays.  If you need to talk to someone, find a trans elder or call the Trevor Project.  
It would have been interesting to see how Blake's life would have turned out, but we've been robbed of that opportunity.   

Rest in power, Blake


 For TBLG youth (ages 24 and younger) contemplating suicide, the Trevor Project Lifeline can be reached at 1-866-488-7386. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 can also be reached 24 hours a day by people of all ages and identities.

Told Y'all Papi Edwards Was A #GirlLikeUs

"In my two decades of lived experience as a Black trans woman, I have seen more than a few young gay males who liked doing drag, claimed it was 'a hobby', only did it for pageants or gay nightclub talent nights and swore up and down they were gay men and had no intention to transition.

But a year or two later after having that gender epiphany, those same gay males were declaring they were trans, swallowing hormones, answering to feminine names and transitioning to live full time as female."
-TransGriot, February 2, 2015,, The Case For Edwards Being A Trans Murder Victim"

Well, as this Dominic Holden March 6 BuzzFeed article points out, Moni was right.

A trans woman who knew Ms. Edwards and was also at the January 9 murder scene named Tiffany, came forward and publicly confirmed what I was hearing from multiple Louisville contacts.

“Papi got shot because she was a transgender female,” Tiffany told BuzzFeed News in a phone interview this month. “That is exactly why she was killed — because of gender identity.”

The photo in this post is a surveillance camera still shot of Ms. Edwards moments before she was killed.  And she is clearly presenting as female moments before she was killed. 

Henry Gleaves, the alleged shooter who prematurely ended Papi's young life, just had another court hearing March 26, with the trial due to start in Da Ville on October 27.

We have had eight trans women killed this year.  I expect there will be more before the calendar turns to January 1, 2016.   This Edwards case underscores the importance of police departments when they encounter trans murder victims, ACCURATELY identifying and publicizing the fact they are dealing with a trans murder case.

Because the sooner the trans community knows we are dealing with a trans murder case, the sooner we can spring into action to help you peeps in law enforcement solve them.

Gizzy Fowler Case Update

There's been some breaking news in the Gizzy Fowler case 

She was the 24 year old Nashville area trans woman who was found shot to death and lying near the open door of her car back on November 12.

Turns out they have a person of interest in the case in 18 year old Mallory Porter.

Porter became a suspect in the case when during the course of the murder investigation, his phone records indicated he had traveled to the area where Fowler's body was later found, and lied to police detectives about his involvement.

Nashville police are now searching for Porter, and when he is caught he will be arrested and charged with criminal homicide.

If you have any information in this case or the whereabouts of Mallory Porter, please call Crime Stoppers at 615-74-CRIME or 615-742-7463.

Islan Nettles KIller Finally Arrested

Nearly two years after he confessed to the heinous crime, 24 year old James Dixon has finally been arrested for the murder of Islan Nettles.

Dixon was indicted for manslaughter and felony assault in relation to Nettles' death   He has entered a  not guilty plea and is being held without bond.

According to court documents, Dixon made his statements to officers at the 32nd Precinct on August. 21, 2013.

But because Paris Wilson also confessed to launching the attack on Nettles and he has a similar resemblance to Dixon, it bogged down the investigation.

"I'm overwhelmed," Delores Nettles, the victim's mother, told DNAinfo New York. "I still want to know the facts, but it's been a long time coming."

Kiara St, James said in reaction to the news, "It's long overdue to have some positive traction in this case,but I won't be happy until the full weight of the law is brought down on him and he is convicted.

And I concur with your assessment Kiara.   #BlackTransLivesMatter, and a conviction and severe punishment in this case will help send that message.  Will be keeping an eye on this case until justice is served.

Arrest Made In Deshawnda Sanchez Murder

The last moments of 21 year old Deshawnda Sanchez's all too brief life were engaged in a frantic early morning search for help in the Chesterfield Square neighborhood before she was gunned down December 3.

One break was that a neighbor's  security camera caught the perp getting out of a car, running toward the porch, and running back moments later to get in the car before it makes a high speed departure.

That video probably led to the announcement made by LA police that 30 year old Robert James Spells was arrested in connection to the Sanchez murder.

Spells, who according to an LA Times report has been convicted of various offenses, including robbery, being a felon with a firearm and possession of a controlled substance, was picked up Wednesday on a parole violation by US marshals at a relative's home.

LAPD Det. Chris Barling said Spells knew Sanchez but declined to discuss the nature of their relationship.  It is unclear whether Sanchez was targeted because of her gender identity, but it is believed to be a contributing factor in the attack.

“In this case, it is not clear-cut,” Barling said. “I think hate was used by Mr. Spells in killing Deshawnda.”

While it is unclear whether prosecutors will try to prosecute this case as a hate crime, what is clear is that Spells is not only facing a criminal count of murder in Sanchez's death, he is also expected to be charged with human trafficking over allegations he sexually assaulted an 11 year old girl and forced her into prostitution in a separate case.

We're one step closer to seeing our fallen sister receive justice in this case.

Kristina Gomez Reinwald Miami Vigil

February 19th there was a memorial held for Kristina Gomez Reinwald AKA Kristina Grant Infiniti on an unseasonably chilly (for them) Miami night at the Torch of Friendship.

They had a nice turnout for the event, with Arianna Lint commenting on Spanish language TV and our glamorous sis Lauren Foster not only taking part in the event at the Torch of Friendship, also getting some media face time on our community's behalf on their local CBS station.

One thing that marred the ceremony was flyers passed out by the Miami-Dade PD seeking information in the case had an unflattering pic of Kristina and misgendered her. 

Miami area trans peeps are on the case and doing the education with the local po-po's to let them know where they screwed up and ensure it doesn't happen again.

As for the search for justice for Kristina, her killer is unfortunately as of this writing still at large

Anyone with relevant information regarding Kristina Gomez Reinwald’s death is asked to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.

And as always, will be keeping you posted with any developments in this case and the other trans murders as I receive them.

Another Week, Another Trans Homicide - RIP Kristina Gomez Reinwald

I've been aware of this since I was tipped Tuesday, but needed more confirmation before I was comfortable enough to write about it.

46  year old Kristina Gomez Reinwald, AKA Kristina Grant Infiniti was found on Sunday unresponsive at her home in the 2000 block of Southwest 58th Court.



The death was originally ruled by authorities as a suicide, and the unconfirmed report I'd received was that she was stabbed  The police according to a NBC6 report are now calling the case a homicide.  Kristina now unfortunately becomes the latest transwoman whose life was taken by a murderer who needs to be expeditiously brought to justice.  

Our South Florida trans family and allies peeps have put together a vigil that will start at 8 PM EST tomorrow at the Torch Of Friendship in downtown Miami.

If you have any information concerning this homicide or will bring the perpetrator to justice, please contact Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS

As I get more information about what happened to our sister, will keep you posted.

RIP Bri Golec

Just when we get the news that Penny Proud is being buried in New Orleans, and the perps in the California trans murder cases of Michelle Payne and Taja DeJesus cases have been arrested or found dead, now comes word of another young Ohio trans woman who has been murdered.

The perpetrator who murdered 22 year old Bri Golec of Akron, OH is already in custody.

It is Bri's father, 52 year old Kevin Golec who stabbed his trans daughter to death after an argument on Friday night in the family's home.

Kevin Golec has been charged with murder and domestic violence and is being held in the Summit County Jail.

It is the old parental threat of 'I brought you into this world, and I can take you out' becoming all too horribly real and resulting in the death of another trans woman.

Bri Golec is the sixth this year and we're barely one and a half months into 2015. And as usual, the trans victim is being misgendered in the media.

The end result of this tragedy is we have another trans woman who won't live to see her 30th birthday. It's even sadder to observe that it was her own father who killed her.

And once again we have another trans woman whose potential contributions to our world and society will be lost to us, and is being buried on February 20 far too soon..

Rest in power, Bri

Updates In Two 2015 California Trans Murder Cases.

Have some updated information concerning the trans murder cases of Taja DeJesus and Michelle Yazmin Payne, who were murdered in northern and southern California within days of each other.
I'm happy to report there is good news in both of theses California cases in terms of bringing their killers to justice.

In the Michelle Payne case, 25 year Ezekiel Dear, who has been IDed as the boyfriend of Ms. Payne, turned himself into the LAPD 7th Division headquarters at 3:30 PM PST on February 1 accompanied by a pastor and confessed to killing her.

He was arraigned the next day at the Van Nuys courthouse on one felony count each of murder, with a knife-use allegation, and arson of an inhabited structure or property.

Will continue to keep you posted on this case.

Meanwhile, up I-5 in the Bay Area, the Taja DeJesus case has had a interesting twist.in the suspected perpetrator of the murder of our fallen sister being found dead himself.

49 year old James Hayes was found dead on February 2 hanging by the neck from a fence in the 4000 block of Third Street.  

The location was behind a warehouse a half mile from the crime scene where DeJesus was found stabbed to death, and Hayes was still wearing the clothing he wore when he allegedly stabbed Ms. DeJesus.

A die-in was held in front of San Francisco City Hall to protest the DeJesus killing and the murders of other trans women since June in California and elsewhere across the country.

After an operatic rendition of 'Amazing Grace' by Breanna Sinclaire, trans leaders in the San Francisco area called for an end to transphobia fueling these murders.

"We're still being murdered, harassed, and cast aside. We have to show that our lives matter," said Danielle Castro.

Yes they do, Danielle/   #TransLivesMatter.  #BlackTransLivesMatter   #LatinaTransLivesMatter  And let's hope that the people who have committed these heinous crimes aimed at us  are captured, tried and convicted for killing us.

RIP Penny Proud

New Orleans is another place I call home because I lived in Marrero for two years as a toddler and my god sister still lives there.

I am saddened to report the murder of another trans woman of color courtesy of ELIXHER,

Meet 21 year old Penny Proud of New Orleans. 

She was found dead in the 1100 block of North Claiborne Avenue in the Treme neighborhood at 1:30 AM yesterday (February 10) shot multiple times

And yes, Times-Picayune, read your AP Stylebook.  Every time you misgender a trans feminine murder victim, you send a message that Black Trans Lives Don't Matter to you and the people who wish to kill us..

She makes the fifth transperson killed across this this country in what is starting to take shape as a bloody year for trans murders.   For those of you in the New Orleans area, if you have information that will lead to the capture of the waste of DNA who killed Penny, you can call the New Orleans PD

They are asking anyone with information on this crime to contact Homicide Detective Robert Barrere at 504-658-5300 or Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111.

You could receive a cash reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to the arrest and indictment of the responsible person(s). You do not have to give your name nor testify to receive the reward. Citizens can also submit an anonymous tip online to Crimestoppers at www.crimestoppersgno.orgThere will also be a candlelight vigil tonight at the Treme corner where Penny was murdered.  Hope there is a large crowd for it.

Rest in Power Penny.   Know that your NOLA area trans sisters and the rest of us around the country will not rest until justice is served in your case.

Anyone with information about Proud’s murder is asked to contact Homicide Detective Robert Barrere at 504-658-5300, or contact Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111 or www.crimestoppersgno.org. - See more at: http://elixher.com/state-of-emergency-black-trans-woman-murdered-in-new-orleans/#sthash.UkqSaDxH.dpuf

Happy 20th Birthday Trayvon!

As I was getting prepared to leave my hotel room and get ready for the NBJC The Black Institute here at #CC15,  it hit me that today would have been the 20th birthday for Trayvon Martin if his life hadn't been cut short by that waste of DNA George Zimmerman.

So what would Trayvon be doing to celebrate his 20th birthday today?   Would he have been doing so in his college dorm room?   Would he have spent a quiet day surrounded by his parents and close friends?

We'll never know the answer to that question because a racist bully with a fetishistic attachment to guns ended his life.  

And since that racist jury set Zimmerman free, the massive mistake they made not throwing his ass in jail has become apparent to the entire world.

We do know the pain that Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin feel over their son's loss will be magnified today along with all the people who knew and loved Trayvon.

Rest in power, Trayvon.  Your people are doing everything we can to help ensure that no more mothers like yours are mourning the untimely deaths of their children.  

We're also working hard to eradicate the odious Stand Your Ground Kill A Black Person With Impunity laws and remind America that #BlackLivesMatter..

We still have a lot of work to do to get to that point, but get there we will.

LA Vigil For Michelle Yasmine Payne Tonight

New month, but the same old crap we have to deal with as we mourn the death of our 33 year old LA area trans sister Michelle Yasmine Payne.

Payne was found stabbed to death by firefighters called to put out a fire in the Van Nuys apartment she shared with her boyfriend in the 14600 block of Saticoy St yesterday morning.

A murder weapon was recovered at the scene, and there is a person of interest in this crime in Payne.s boyfriend.   He is described as being an African-American male that stands 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs 150 pounds.

If you have information that will result in the arrest and conviction of the perpetrator of this heinous crime , please call the Van Nuys detective desk at 818-374-0040. After-hours calls could be made to 818-374-1999.

If you also have a photo of our fallen sister, please get them to me ASAP.

In other news, LA based trans advocate Bamby Salcedo has organized a vigil for Ms. Payne that will start at 6 PM PST at the 14600 Saticoy St. location.   If you can be there tonight, please do so to honor our sister who was ripped away from us far too soon.

Rest in Power, Michelle Yasmine.   Your sisters will not rest until justice is served in your case.

Another African-American Trans Woman Killed In Kentucky

Damn, I barely have calmed down from the rant I unleashed yesterday about too many of my young African descended transsisters being killed before I was sent news of this one from my old Louisville, KY stomping grounds.

It has all the disrespectful AP Stylebook violations I loathe when writing about these murders of African-American trans women.

Using mugshot photo in WHAS-TV story: CHECK.   Using victim's dead name: CHECK.   Misgendering her throughout the story:  CHECK

Surprised the WHAS-TV peeps didn't disrespect Ms. Edwards further by inserting whatever criminal record they could find since they found the mugshot.

The 20 year old Ms. Edwards (I refuse to use a name that is in violation of AP Stylebook standards for covering trans people) was found shot to death at the Fern Valley Motel in the 2700 block of Fern Valley Road on January 9.

She was from Indianapolis, and after LMPD was called to the scene, she was transported to a local hospital where she was declared dead upon arrival after suffering a single gunshot would to the chest.

LMPD is searching for 20 year old Henry Richard Gleaves in connection with this homicide and if you have eyeballs on him, please call the anonymous LMPD tip line at 502-574-LMPD.

For those of you in the Louisville area or Indianapolis area where Ms.Edwards was from, if you have some pics of her or know her femme name, please get it to me ASAP so I can properly and respectfully cover her story unlike the stenographers at WHAS-TV.

And this now make three transsisters we have lost to anti-trans violence since this year started, all 30 years old or younger.   

And this month still isn't over yet.

#BlackTransLivesMatter    Once again how many more of us have to die before the Black community gives a damn? .

TransGriot Update.  Typed the last name as Williams instead of Edwards.   That's what I get for writing while watching Serena play tennis.   It has been corrected in the post. 

Henry Gleaves, the person who is alleged to have committed the crime, is now in LMPD custody and has been charged with murder.

RIP Ty Underwood

It saddens and angers me to write another post informing you TransGriot readers about the loss of another trans sister to anti-trans hatred and violence.

This time the location of our latest hate murder is in Tyler, TX and her name is Ty Underwood.   She was just 24 years old.

She was found shot to death early Monday morning in North Tyler on  Twenty Fourth Street.  A woman called 911 saying a car had hit a telephone pole and that her children heard gunshots. Underwood's roommate Coy Simmons believes Underwood was targeted because she is a transgender person.

“She was lovely, just a lovely person. Very real, down to earth person who didn't deserve this, did not deserve this at all,” Simmons told KYTX-TV in an interview.

Tyler Police detectives do have a few leads, but nothing substantial enough to lead to a warrant  or an arrest. “We will follow any leads that come in, we will follow them completely because this was a senseless murder,” Detective Andy Erbaugh said.

Detective Erbaugh believes Underwood was in or near her car when shots were fired. She then tried to drive off, but the car got stuck in a grassy area.

If you live in the Tyler area and know something, call the Tyler Police and tell them what you know.

And yes Ty, you transsisters and all who loved you are not going to rest until the waste of DNA who committed this crime is apprehended, tried, convicted and rotting in a TDC jail cell.

We are also going to make it our business in the 2K15 to let people know that #BlackTransLivesMatter, and the anti-trans hate speech being uttered from pulpits and on right wing talk radio is getting people killed


Rest in power, Ty.

RIP Bianca Baxter

Sad news from the ballroom community courtesy of ELIXHER. 

On December 21 the House of Mizrahi suffered the untimely loss of their House Mother Bianca Baxter, known in the Ballroom world as Barbie Mizrahi.

The cause of death of the actress and model from Charlottesville, VA  hasn't been confirmed, but she was a popular and well loved figure in the ballroom world.

Every trans woman in the ballroom and pageant community is my sister, too. We have much to learn and teach each other, and need to do a better job in 2015 of connecting and working to solve our common problems together.  
And while  I'm saddened to hear about Bianca leaving us far too soon, the cool thing is there is plenty of video of our ballroom sister, and you can check it out here.

Rest In Peace, Lamia Beard!

Well, didn't take long for me to have to write my first post of 2015 memorializing one of our fallen African-American trans sisters.

This happened in Norfolk, VA, her name was Lamia Beard, and she was 30 years old.

Lamia was found just before 4 AM EST on January 17 suffering from a gunshot wound in the 700 block of E. 25th Street.   She was taken to Norfolk General Hospital where she later died.

And as you probably guessed when it comes to media people covering the murders of our sisters, it came with another heaping helping of disrespect.   She was not only misgendered in the Scott Daugherty Virginian-Pilot article, her past arrest record was injected into the story.

#BlackTransLivesMatter

For those of you in the Norfolk area who wish to pay your last respects to Lamia, the viewing will be held on January 25, with the funeral service to take place at 11 AM on  Monday, January 26, 2015at the Metropolitan Funeral Service, Berkley Avenue Chapel

Address is 120 W. Berkley Avenue, Norfolk, VA.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact the Norfolk Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP.

Rest in power Lamia!   We won't rest as a community until your killer is found and brought to justice.

Jennifer Laude Case Update 3

The new year brings some updated news in the Jennifer Laude case, and the clock is ticking on it.. 

Under the Visting Forces Agreement between the US and the Philippines, the case nust be resolved within a year.   The prosecution filed murder charges against Joseph Pemberton back on December 15.

The trial proceedings have also been halted at the request of the Pemberton defense team by the Olongapo regional trial court has suspended proceedings for up to 60 days.

The Pemberton camp wants the US Justice Department to review the probable cause finding that led to the murder charge.

NCIS investigators discovered Pemberton's fingerprint on one of the condom wrappers found at the scene of the crime.. 

Pemberton before he was raken into custody aboart the USS Peleliu told a fellow marine the he had attacked Laude after discovering she was a transwoman and allegedly said to that marine: “I think I killed a he/she.”   Pemberton was subsequently transferred from the USS Peleliu docked in Subic Bay to be held in a US facility in the Philippine run Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

There's also some controversy involving the judge  handling the case, Roline Ginez-Jabalde.   Harry Roque, the Laude family attorney,  is going to file a motion seeking the removal from this case of the judge.

The reason?   Judge Ginez-Jabalde was a law school classmate of Rowena Garcia-Flores, Pemberton's attorney

Earlier in the proceedings the court rejected the Laude family’s motions for live media coverage of the hearings, and to transfer Pemberton to a regular Philippine jail.   

Stay tuned to these TransGriot pages for continued updates on the Laude trial, because like our transpinay sisters in the Philippines and transpeople around the world, I'll be watching this case to see if justice was served.

25 Years Later, A Trans Murder Victim's Assailant Is Arrested

Back in 1989  Santa Ana, CA resident Carla Leigh Salazar was stabbed to death in her apartment.  

While the murdered trans woman's case was investigated by Santa Ana police, they didn't identify a suspect at the time, and the case eventually went  to the cold case file like many of the unsolved murders that involve trans women. 

With the advances in DNA for criminal case detective work, it has allowed police investigators to take a fresh look at cases that couldn't be solved under the methods of the day and gives them another tool in their crime fighting toolbox to close those cold cases.

An arrest has been made in the Salazar case in the person of 63 year old Douglas Gutridge.   

He was an acquaintance of Salazar, may have been the last person to see Salazar alive and was suspected by the police of committing the crime.   In 2007 police investigators received lab evidence that indicated an unidentified male had been in the apartment at the time of Salazar's death.

That led police investigators in 2009 to contact Gutridge, who volunteered to submit a DNA sample.   That evidence wasn't enough to detain him at the time.   Continued advances in forensics technology and the formation in Orange County of a Cold Case Homicide Task Force to address a backlog of over 1000 area cold cases led to the renewed interest in the Salazar one.

The advancements in forensic technology combined with Gutridge's DNA place him not only in Salazar's apartment at the time of the murder, but also showed the placement of his hands on her body.

Based on that new evidence, Gutridge was arrested on December 9 and charged with Salazar's murder.  It was also the first arrest for the newly minted Orange County Cold Case Homicide Task force.    He is facing 25 years to life if convicted, and is being held on a $1 million bond with arraignment scheduled for January 2.

And it gives ne another trans murder case to track in the New Year to see if our fallen sister receives justice.

Chicago Trans Activist Joy Morris Dies

Have some sad news to report to you about one of our activist trans sisters.

Was advised by Philip Esteem and a Windy City Times article that Chicago based activist Joy Morris died December 6 after a long battle with cancer.

The homegoing service was held at the Mountain of Hope church on Saturday December 13.

Joy's activism was focused on the transgender and HIV/AIDS communities, and she was a determined warrior that demanded inclusiocommunity."n and recognition for both since the 1990's.

In order to facilitate the goal of trans inclusion in the HIV/AIDS community, Morris founded TransActions along with being the organizing force for the Legends Lunch All Star Awards that have exponentially grown under her watch.

'The community has lost an outspoken activist whose voice cannot be silenced.  Joy's 30 year lve with HIV was the inspiration for a different kind of battle. She powerfully and tirelessly fought for recognition, inclusion and equality and her resounding cry "What about the transgenders?" was singularly recognizable in the HIV community." stated Kenis Williams, Trisha Holloway, Sheila Cooper-Webb and Hannah Anderson in a statement..

Rest in power and peace, Joy.   You will be missed by your colleagues, the community and all who loved you.  

They will never forget your contributions toward making Chicago, the state of Illinois  and the world a better place.

RIP Deshawnda Sanchez

So much for the 2014 Christmas season being devoid of a trans murder.

In the Los Angeles area in the early morning hours of December 3, 21 year old Deshawnda 'Tata' Thomas spent the last moments of her life pounding on the door of a Compton, CA home around 4 AM desperately seeking to escape someone.

That help arrived too late, and she unfortunately became the third trans woman on Southern California to die this year and the eleventh trans woman of color nationally to die since June .

And what's even more distressing to me, she was just 21 years old.

In what may turn out to be a huge break in this case, a surveillance camera at a nearby home caught someone getting out of a car and running toward the porch where Deshawnda was standing.   That person is spotted moments later running back toward he vehicle as it departs at high speed.

A vigil was held Friday night to point out those grim statistics and to loudly restate the point that #TransLivesMatter.



Lets hope the person pr persons responsible for this latest murder of a trans woman of color are swiftly caught and punished.

And the trans community won't rest until that happens.