Texas transgender woman seen in a videotaped attack found dead
DALLAS (AP) — A 23-year-old transgender woman whose beating in front of a crowd was captured on video has been found dead on a Dallas street, police said.
Muhlaysia Booker was found face-down early Saturday after officers were called following reports of shots being fired. She was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.
Booker died from “homicidal violence,” said police Maj. Vincent Weddington. He did not elaborate. No suspect has been identified.
Weddington said there’s no evidence indicating a link between the shooting and the April 12 beating Booker suffered after she was involved in a minor traffic accident. A police affidavit released at the time said Booker accidentally backed into a vehicle before the driver of that vehicle pointed a gun at her and refused to let her leave unless she paid for the damage.
As a crowd gathered, someone offered $200 to a man to beat the woman, who suffered a concussion, fractured wrist, and other injuries, police said. Other men also struck Booker, with one stomping on her head. Edward Thomas, 29, was arrested and jailed on a charge of aggravated assault.
A cellphone recording showed her being beaten as the crowd hollered and watched. Video of the attack was shared on social media.
Booker attended a rally the following week where she said she was grateful to have survived.
“This time I can stand before you, wherein other scenarios, we’re at a memorial,” The Dallas Morning News reported her as saying.
Weddington said the investigation into the April attack continues.
“We’re still attempting to identify other people that were seen assaulting Muhlaysia in the video,” he said.
Update: Tuesday, May 21 – Police look at whether transgender women’s deaths connected
By TERRY WALLACE
DALLAS (AP) — The shooting deaths of two transgender women and the stabbing of a third are being investigated to determine whether they are connected, police in Dallas said Tuesday.
No arrests have been made. The most recent killing occurred over the weekend.
“These cases, although not directly related at this time, do have some similarities the public needs to be aware of,” Maj. Vincent Weddington said during a news conference .
He added that Dallas police will work with federal law enforcement officers to determine if any of the attacks should be considered hate crimes.
The other killing occurred last October. A transgender woman was found shot to death in a vehicle parked near an elementary school in far southeastern Dallas, police said.
In the stabbing, a transgender woman survived after being cut repeatedly in April.
Weddington, in pointing out the similarities, said two of the victims had gotten into a vehicle with someone prior to their deaths, while the third had allowed someone inside her car to pick up a passenger. He declined to specify which victims did what, citing the investigation.
He added that two of the victims had been near an intersection close to Fair Park, southeast of downtown Dallas, before their deaths.
Weddington appealed to the public for tips. A town hall meeting has been scheduled for Thursday between police and members of the LGBT community.
Police also are trying to solve the case of a transgender woman whose remains were found in a field in July 2017, Weddington said. The cause of her death has not been determined.
Weddington has said that no evidence was found to link Booker’s death to her April 12 beating following a minor traffic accident. According to a police affidavit, the other driver involved in the accident had a gun and refused to let Booker leave until she paid for the damage to his vehicle. A crowd gathered and someone offered a man $200 to beat the woman. Other men also struck her, while one stomped on her head. Booker suffered a concussion, fractured wrist and other injuries, police said.
Video of the attack, which was shared on social media, showed Booker being beaten as the crowd hollered and watched. Edward Thomas, 29, was arrested and jailed on an aggravated assault charge.
Thomas’ attorneys have issued a statement saying Thomas wasn’t involved in Booker’s death and sending condolences to her family.
