Houston Possible Trans Murder Case Update

I posted about the discovery of a body wearing a black dress and hose in a NW Houston gully back in early July and the possibility the victim was trans.

As of today we still don't have clear and concise enough information about the deceased that I and other people are confident enough to report at this time.

We also haven't been getting enough information from the Houston Police Department to clear up in our minds whether the person found was actually a member of our trans community.

I'll continue to work my sources to ferret that information out and once i have it, you'll see it posted here.

In the meantime, for those of you in the Houston area who have information on this ongoing case, please call HPD Homicide at 713-308-3600.
 

Possible Trans Woman Killed In My Houston Backyard

The latest possible anti-trans violence case may be in my H-town backyard.

Sunday morning according to a Houston Chronicle story a call was received by HPD homicide detectives at 8:45 AM about a body in Brickhouse Gully, near the 4100 block of Antoine just east of the Northwest Freeway, underneath a bridge.

The deceased person was found wearing what appears to be a black dress and panty hose in shallow water appearing to be about 3 inches deep.

But since the media did their usual job of muddying the waters (pun not intended) by claiming the body was a 'man dressed in women's clothes', won't know for certain for a few days if the deceased is actually a trans woman or not.

Two juveniles who found the body told someone else, who called the police.  An autopsy has been scheduled, and the case is still under investigation. 

According to a KHOU-TV story the person appears to have been assaulted either Saturday night or Sunday morning.

Anyone with information on the person's identity or what happened is urged to call HPD Homicide at 713-308-3600.

Arrest Made In Shelley Hilliard Murder

There's some good news this holiday season in that Qasim Raqib, the alleged murderer of Michele 'Shelley' Hilliard has been arrested and charged with the horrific dismemberment killing of her.

There's also news about a motive for it beyond the trans issues.  

Detroit Man Charged in Transgender Teen's Murder: MyFoxDETROIT.com

Seems that Michele was an informant for the Madison Heights, MI Police according to a report from Fox2 Detroit.  Facing jailtime, Hilliard agreed to take part in a drug sting for Madison Heights Police.

The deal went down and officers arrested Raqib.  He was certain that he was set up by Hilliard and wanted revenge. After posting bond Raqib purchased a cellphone and lured her to the Longfellow address in Detroit where she was dropped off on October 23 by a cab driver, ambushed and later killed.  
The family is pleased that her murderer has been caught and is facing justice.

Victoria Carmen White Update

There's a welcome update in the Victoria Carmen White saga    According to CNN  two suspects have been identified and police are searching for them.

Victoria's murder is also being investigated as a bias crime. 


The Maplewood, NJ police are looking for 25year old Marquise L. Foster, of North Plainfield and 23 year old Alrashim N. Chambers, of Newark, NJ.  

To help expedite their capture, Garden State Equality is offering a $2000 reward for informtion that leads to one or both of these wastes of DNA being apprehended.

We also have more details as to the events leading up to White's September 12 death.   

Assocring to Essex County Prosecutior's Office spokesperson Katherine Carter, suspects Foster and Chambers met White at an Irvington, NJ nightclub,  then returned with her and two other people to the Maplewood, NJ apartment "to continue partying."    An altercation occurred and White was killed."

Foster, of North Plainfield, is described as about 5-feet, 6-inches tall and weighing 130 pounds; Chambers, of Newark, is 5-feet, 10-inches and approximately 165 pounds.

Okay Jersey peeps, if you see these guys, give the Essex County or Maplewood po-po's a call.   There's $2000 dollars in it for you and the gratitude of the friends, family and all who loved Victoria Carmen White.

And once these peeps are caught, Victoria will be one step closer to receiving justice.
 

10th Anniversary of Amanda Milan Murder

Today marks the tenth anniversary of the viciously brutal killing of transwoman Amanda Milan at the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York on June 20, 2000.

It's been ten years since that night that then 20 year old Dwayne McCuller used a knife borrowed from then 26 year old Eugene Celestine to slash the throat and jugular vein of Amanda Milan.

The New York trans community was outraged, especially after the murder wasn't prosecuted as a hate crime. McCuller pled guilty and was sentenced in November 2002 to 17.5 years to life in prison for Amanda's murder.

An emotional and well attended memorial service was held July 23 in which her friend, the late Octavia St. Laurent used her eulogy of Amanda to rip into the media, the ignorant, sexist, and the African-American community.

"Amanda was a transsexual. She was killed because she was a transsexual. Her neck was slashed and her story went unreported because she was Black and a transsexual." .

"The Black community is the worst," she said. "They who have suffered from prejudice in this country have treated us worse than any other people.

"White people have rights, Black people have rights. Gay people have rights. Animals have rights. Transgenders have no rights."

"People refer to us as `it,' `thing' and `that.' They call us he/she. They say, 'What was that?' Being gay is O.K. They are on TV. How many will have to die before they recognize we are not expendable? We are transgenders."

Octavia's question asked during that July 2000 memorial service sadly has gone unanswered. Black transpeople ten years later continue to be murdered for who they are. Unlike Amanda's killer who is still rotting in jail, many of those people brutally taken from us have yet to see their killers be brought to justice.

Black transpeople are still waiting for our government to recognize them as human beings deserving of civil rights protection.

Octavia stated during that memorial service eulogy, "Death will not be the last word for Amanda Milan."

She's absolutely right in that regard. As long as TransGriot and other trans themed blogs that cover African American transpeople are around, we will make certain that something positive comes out of it and Amanda's death never fades from our collective memory.

PR Trans Latina Woman Found Stabbed To Death In Home

If you thought I was being over the top about trans Latinas and transsistahs taking the brunt of the anti-transgender violence, here's another person to add to this distressingly lengthening list of trans people we're going to memorialize for the 2010 TDOR.

31 year old hairstylist Ashley Santiago was found stabbed to death 14 times inside her home in Corozal, just 25 miles outside the Puerto Rican capital of San Juan. Her 2009 Toyota Corolla was missing from the driveway.

Authorities have yet to determine whether Santiago’s killer (or killers) murdered her because of her gender identity or expression, but I'd be willing to bet that 14 stab wounds is a major clue that it was.

Puerto Rico has a hate crimes statute on its legal books passed in 2002 that includes sexual orientation and gender identity. However, the statute is rarely used.

Gee, I wonder why? Is it because of the heavy Catholic influence in Puerto Rico?

If her killers are caught and brought to justice, it's about time Puerto Rican prosecutors, that you consider separating your religious prejudices from doing your jobs and using the hate crimes statute if it applies in the Santiago case.

In the meantime, while we're waiting for justice to be done in this case, the Santiago family and the trans community will mourn the loss of another one of our beautiful transsisters.