Find Justice for MIA Henderson! Trans Woman killed in Baltimore!
Baltimore police confirmed the killing of Mia Henderson, 26, a transgender woman who died of “severe trauma.” Her body was found July 16 just before 6 a.m. in an alley in the 3400 block of Piedmont Avenue near Lake Ashburton in Northwest Baltimore.
Police officers discovered the body while attempting to serve a warrant in an unrelated case. Lt. Colonel David Reitz at a press conference held later that day indicated that the victim “appeared to have been there for a few hours.” Police released the victim’s official government ID in the name of Kevin Long. WJZ-TV reported Wednesday that the victim is a sibling of NBA player Reggie Bullock, who plays for the Los Angeles Clippers.
The discovery comes just six weeks after the murder of another transgender woman, Kandy Hall, whose body was discovered in a Northeast Baltimore field.
Among the other Baltimore City Police Department representatives involved in the press conference were Police Commissioner Anthony W. Batts; Lt. J. Eric Kowalczyk, director of the Media Relations Section; and Sgt. Kevin Bailey, who is the new LGBT Police Liaison. They said that it is too early in the investigation to provide more details.
5 Fast Facts You Need to Know. Here’s what you need to know about her. According to Heavy.com
1. There Were 3 Murders That Night in Baltimore
Henderson, 26, was found dead around 6 a.m in an alley off Garrison Boulevard, which is a known area for prostitution. Neighbors and citizens who live nearby say it is a hotspot for “drug users, prostitutes, and johns attempting to buy sex with small amounts of cash or drugs.” reports the Baltimore Sun.
A neighbor says she saw Henderson walk into the alley with an unnamed suspect around 5 a.m. Wednesday, about one hour before Henderson was found. The neighbor says she “saw a light-skinned black man in a white T-shirt, white baseball cap and blue jeans looking around nervously,” according to the Baltimore Sun. The woman also said she had seen Henderson before, as she had stood on that street corner many times in the early morning hours over the last few months.
Henderson was one of three people killed in Baltimore in a span of 12 hours. Jamal Ross, 32, was murdered near Coppin State University on 5 p.m. on Tuesday, and Darnell Mitchell, 28, was shot in South Baltimore around 4 a.m. Wednesday.
2. Her Last Facebook Activity Was on the Tuesday Night before the murder
On Tuesday, Henderson posted the above picture on Facebook. Five people commented on the post, and Henderson responded to two of these comments. Her last known Facebook activity can be seen below. It was posted Tuesday, July 15, at 7:55 pm.
3. She Had Been Arrested Twice for Alleged Prostitution
The Baltimore Sun reports that Henderson had been arrested twice in the past for alleged prostitution.
In February 2013, she was charged with prostitution, and records report she resisted “arrest and second-degree assault”. She was sentenced to two years in prison after being convicted on the assault charge, but most of the sentence was suspended.
4. The Case May Be Tied to Other Transgender Murders in Baltimore
This murder marks the second unsolved transgender homicide in Baltimore within the past six weeks.
On June 3, a transgender woman who went by the name Kandy, previously known as Ricky Carlos Hall, was found dead in a field near Coldstream Park Elementary School in Baltimore. According to the Huffington Post, police have been investigating whether the homicide was a hate crime.
Baltimore’s transgender community is concerned with the incidents that have occurred in the area recently, according to WBAL. Monico Yorkman, a leader in the city’s LGBT community, spoke out about the event:
I’m sure our community is being targeted, that’s not even new.
In a news conference, police said they do not yet know if the two transgender murder cases are connected. Lt. Col David Reitz said:
We are going back several years to look at other cases that may have similarities to this case, including the one that happened about a month ago.
5. Bullock Took Heat for Calling Henderson His ‘Brother’
Many have voiced frustration with Bullock for referring to Henderson as his brother, and not his sister, in tweets. The above screenshot is taken from comments on a Huffington Post article. While some comments argue that Bullock couldn’t “respect her identity,” others believe Bullock “should not be judged” for his comments, as we are not “aware of what kind of relationship” they had.
Police could not confirm if a firearm was used in the homicide until autopsy results are received.
“Any loss of life in Baltimore City is unacceptable,” said Batts. “We need to solve this case and solve the cases that are open.” Prior to the press conference, Batts spoke to community stakeholders at a separate meeting offering assurances the police are working hard to solve these crimes and that community members “need to look for things out of the norm” and report it to the police immediately. “We need data—any information or any clues.”
Police would not say if they believe the two murders are connected. Both victims were black and their bodies were found in the early morning. The police determined that Kandy Hall had been stabbed. They have not yet made such a determination on the latest homicide, however.
Members of the community are urged to call Homicide at 410-396-2100 or they can call Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7LockUp and remain anonymous if they have any information relating to these two cases.
No comments:
Post a Comment