Remembering Our Dead: October 2016
Every year on or around 20th November people worldwide gather for the Transgender day of Remembrance to to remember the trans people we have lost to murder and violence in the past year, as reported by the Trans Murder Monitoring Project and published by Transgender Europe (TGEU).
The following are details of trans people known to have been killed worldwide during October 2016 (see TDoR 2017: Say their names. Learn their stories. Remember them for an index covering the whole year).
[TRIGGER WARNING: VIOLENCE. MURDER]
Kitkat Mae Fermin
Age 18
2 Oct 2016
Davao City (Philippines)
Shot
Kitkat was shot in the head.
Brandi Bledsoe
Age 32
8 Oct 2016
Cleveland (USA)
Shot
Brandi was found dead with a plastic bag around her head and reports of head trauma. The cause of death was a gunshot wound to the chest.
Brandi was a budding artist, and I highly recommend reading The Life and Death of Brandi Bledsoe, the 23rd Trans Woman Killed in 2016 as it gives a real insight into who she was.
http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2016/10/transgender_woman_found_dead_i_1.html
Itzel Durán Castellanos
Age 19
8 Oct 2016
Chiapas, Mexico City (Mexico)
Stabbed
Itzel was stabbed in the neck while at her home. Neighbours heard her cries for help and called the emergency services, but by the time the authorities arrived she was dead.
Two days later the police arrested the alleged murderer, a 25 year old man named Jonathan Miramontes Hidalgo.
Despite investigations confirming that there were traces of Itzel’s blood on Hidalgo’s clothes, he was released on 13th February 2018 as the police had allowed evidence to become contaminated.
https://www.animalpolitico.com/2016/10/itzel-duran-transexual-asesinada-chiapas/
http://www.excelsior.com.mx/nacional/2016/10/11/1121876
http://www.proceso.com.mx/458705/detienen-a-presunto-homicida-reina-gay-comitan
http://www.proceso.com.mx/458021/asesinato-joven-transexual-indigna-a-la-comunidad-gay-chiapas
https://blogs.20minutos.es/1-de-cada-10/2016/10/09/itzel-duran-castellanos/
W. Rodrigues Alexandre
8 Oct 2016
Duque de Caxias (Brazil)
Beaten
W. was beaten to death at dawn on Saturday 8th October near the center of Duque de Caxias.
http://www.baixadavivanoticias.com.br/2016/10/travesti-e-espancado-e-morto-no-centro.html
Ahya Sapphire
10 Oct 2016
Caloocan (Philippines)
Cause of death not reported
Ahya’s death was not included in the official TGEU list.
Like most victims in the Philippines, her murder was reported via Facebook and details are sketchy. Any clarifications would be welcome.
The hashtags #RIPAhya and #JusticeForAhya trended on Facebook in the Philippines in the days following her murder.
Her Facebook profile is https://www.facebook.com/I.love.AHYA and her Twitter account https://twitter.com/URsweethartAHYA.
“Rest in peace my friend. I’m sure you have a lot of plans and dreams in life but won’t be fulfilled because of what was done to you. I hope your death will be given justice. Nkakabigla!”
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1394389564132866/permalink/1755242774714208/
https://www.facebook.com/violenceinthephilippines/posts/620287784808989
https://www.facebook.com/john.maca.35/videos/1297753500257985/
Yasmin Montoy
Age 20
10 Oct 2016
Parque do Carmo, São Paulo (Brazil)
Beaten
Yasmin was beaten. Her body showed signs of the violence she had suffered and an injury to her head which was “probably done with a stick”. However, despite the testimony of friends, the police report states that there were no signs of violence and called for drug and toxicology tests.
https://ponte.org/jovem-trans-morre-apos-ser-espancada-a-pauladas-no-parque-do-carmo/
C. A. Armas Carvajal (“La Ariel”, “La Polla” or “La Diana”)
Age 35
11 Oct 2016
Pénjamo, Guanajuato (Mexico)
Shot
C. A. was shot at least 4 times in Pénjamo, Guanajuato, Mexico on 11th October 2016. Her body was found in the road the following morning.
Locals nicknamed her ‘La Ariel’, ‘La Polla’ or ‘La Diana’. She was unidentified in the official TGEU TDoR 2017 list.
https://www.am.com.mx/2016/10/11/sucesos/asesinan-a-travesti-a-balazos-en-penjamo-319000
Cheva Herrera Aceves
11 Oct 2016
Chihuahua (Mexico)
Shot
Cheva was murdered outside her home located between Juan Carrillo and Monterder Segura streets in the downtown Chihuahua. Her attacker shot her and a man who was with her. She died almost immediately and he was seriously injured.
Cheva was described as elderly in the news report. According to neighbours she was a very popular woman in the area and they do not know why anyone would want to kill her.
http://www.proceso.com.mx/408629/asesinan-a-transexual-y-cubren-su-cuerpo-con-la-bandera-nacional
Alessa Flores Mendez
Age 23
13 Oct 2016
Colonia Obrera, Mexico City (Mexico)
Suffocated
Alessa Flores was found strangled in a hotel room in the Cuauhtémoc branch of Mexico City. She had also been beaten and stabbed.
Alessa was originally from Tabasco and was engaged in sex work to survive. She was also an activist and struggled to make visible the specific security needs of women engaged in sex work.
Just a week earlier, she had participated in the Youth Capital Forum of the Youth Institute of Mexico City, where she spoke on “Sex work: Democratisation versus precarisation”. In her speech Alessa recalled that transgender sex workers lack protection and are exposed to dangers because their work is not recognized as a job.
“Sex work is stigmatized by the idea of selling the body, an idea that the conservatives use to disqualify them because the workers make their bodies public and (for the conservatives) the women are not public, but this idea is wrong because all the workers sell his body, the same as a worker, as well as a clerk.”
http://www.excelsior.com.mx/comunidad/2016/10/15/1122594
http://www.proceso.com.mx/458800/reportan-asesinato-joven-transexual-en-la-cdmx
https://www.animalpolitico.com/2016/10/alessa-flores-activista-trans-cdmx/
https://www.animalpolitico.com/2016/10/quien-alessa-transexual/
Alessa Flores had been collaborating for two years in the placement of a day of the dead altar for sex workers, some of them murdered.
The altar was to remember them, “remember they were here and they were very good,” Alessa said in a video recorded last year in November, just in front of the altar placed by Tlalpan’s sex workers.
“I hope I do not have to be on this poster, I hope I do not end up here and end up somewhere else, sex work is an option but I would not like to do that alone,” Alessa said in the video.
Name Unknown
13 Oct 2016
Sorocaba (Brazil)
Suffocated
The victim was suffocated and found dead in the Sorocaba river with her head covered by a plastic bag.
https://goqueer.blogspot.com/2016/10/transphobic-crimes-on-rise-in-brazil.html
C. do Nascimento Rolim
Age 19
13 Oct 2016
São Paulo (Brazil)
Asphyxiated
C. was found dead inside an unattended police car parked in the 77th Police District (PD), in Santa Cecilia, in the center of São Paulo. Her death was ruled “suspicious”.
According to the ombudsman of the São Paulo State Police, Julio Cesar Neves, the “story was badly told”. The ombudsman wants to know if there has been an irregularity committed by a police officer. “It’s appalling to see a body inside a police car inside a police station parking lot and the Civil Police does not explain it right.”
Zizi Shekiladze
Age 32
14 Oct 2016
Tbilisi (Georgia)
Throat cut
Zizi was hit in the head with a concrete bar and had her throat cut. She fell into a coma and died several weeks later.
http://dfwatch.net/georgian-sentenced-to-13-years-for-killing-a-transgender-woman-47558
Name Unknown
14 Oct 2016
Xico, Valle de Chalco, Estado de Mexico (Mexico)
Beaten
The victim was found face down in the street in a pool of blood. She had a fractured skull and her scalp was loose.
Neighbours reported hearing screaming and cries for help and then found her body.
http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/articulo/metropoli/edomex/2016/10/15/matan-joven-transexual-en-chalco
Name Unknown
Age 20
17 Oct 2016
Guerrero (Mexico)
Shot
The victim was shot by several people. A person was detained and the crime is said to be related to extortion.
TvT partner organisation Centro de Apoyo a las Identidades Trans & m-x, 17.10.2016
Bianca Bittencourt
Age 19
17 Oct 2016
Natal (Brazil)
Tortured
Bianca was a beautician and had been missing for 3 days when she was found dead inside the house, hanged with her own belt. Before she was killed, a turned-on fan had been broken on her head, her genitals beaten and she had been electrocuted.
Note that also the official TGEU list incorrectly lists her date of death as 31st October 2016.
https://goqueer.blogspot.com/2016/12/lgbt-people-killed-in-brazil-oct-17-to.html
http://blogrnonline.blogspot.com.br/2016/10/bianca-travestir-cabeleleira-foi.html
Julia Sofia Marques Evangelista
Age 20
21 Oct 2016
Natal (Brazil)
Stabbed
Julia’s partner used a kitchen knife to kill her. He was a drug user and according to Julia Sofía’s family the couple used to fight over the money needed to feed his addiction.
https://goqueer.blogspot.com/2016/12/lgbt-people-killed-in-brazil-oct-17-to.html
http://www.nominuto.com/noticias/policia/travesti-e-morto-a-facadas-no-bairro-nazare/147981/
http://www.laurivanreporter.com/em-natal-travesti-e-morta-a-facada-e-companheiro-preso-em-flagrante/
http://ipanvale.blogspot.com.br/2016/10/travesti-foi-assassinada-facadas-no.html
Sierra/Simon Bush
Age 18
22 Oct 2016
Idaho City (USA)
Asphyxiated
They (Sierra/Simon usually preferred gender-neutral pronouns) was found dead in a creek after being missing for a month. The mother and stepfather stated they felt from the very beginning that this was a kidnapping case.
TvT project: IDAHO Statesman, 26.10.2016 & 08.12.2016
W.
Age 20
24 Oct 2016
São José dos Campos (Brazil)
Cause of death not reported.
The victim’s body was found in a bush, in the outermost zone of the city.
TvT partner organisation Rede Trans Brasil & Ovale, 24.10.2016
Lorena Reyes Mantilla
Age 32
24 Oct 2016
Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Spain)
Beaten
After being threatened, beaten and stabbed in the hand by a client, Lorena went to her balcony and tried to escape to a neighbour’s flat. Unfortunately she fell. She died in hospital.
A 36 year old man was subsequently arrested.
Lorena was an exuberant blonde, a woman just over 30 with a mischievous smile and breasts used to seeing the sun. Lorena was beautiful but above all she was a woman built herself against what society wanted to impose on her.
https://blogs.20minutos.es/1-de-cada-10/tag/lorena-reyes-mantilla/
http://www.laopinion.es/sociedad/2016/12/12/lorena-dramatico-final-mujer-luchadora/731593.html
http://eldia.es/sucesos/2016-10-24/29-Detenido-cliente-travesti-murio-caer-edificio.htm
Name Unknown
25 Oct 2016
Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic)
Shot
The victim was shot dead.
TvT partner organisation Centro de Apoyo a las Identidades Trans & Hoy, 26.10.2016
Emily Duque
26 Oct 2016
Caracas (Venezuela)
Shot
Emily was shot and killed by a pimp who wanted to charge her to work after she refused to agree to this arrangement.
TvT partner organisation Centro de Apoyo a las Identidades Trans & El Universal.com, 27.10.2016
Nino da Silva
Age 24
26 Oct 2016
Paudalho (Brazil)
Beaten
Nino was beaten to death. Her body was found on the banks of the Capibaribe River, near the Itaiba Bridge in the town of Paudalho. Beside it were found items of clothing, condoms, a stick and a blood-soaked stone.
https://goqueer.blogspot.com/2016/12/lgbt-people-killed-in-brazil-oct-17-to.html
Evelyn Rojas
Age 26
27 Oct 2016
Posadas (Argentina)
Beaten
A friend found Evelyn’s brutally beaten body in a disused service station. She had been beaten on the face and head with a sharp object.
https://misionescuatro.com/posadas/marcharon-pedir-justicia-evelyn-rojas/
A. Soto Mena (“La Jana”)
29 Oct 2016
Iguala, Guerrero (Mexico)
Stabbed
La Jana sold fruit during the day and was a sex worker by night. She was found dead at 4am on Saturday 29th October. She had been stabbed to death.
La Jana was unidentified in the official TGEU TDoR 2017 list.
Name Unknown
Age 31
29 Oct 2016
Belo Horizonte (Brazil)
Burned
The victim was burned to death. Their body was found with widespread burns inside the room where a fire had been started.
TvT partner organisation Rede Trans Brasil & G1 MG, 29.10.2016
Bellah Soosa
30 Oct 2016
Cariré, Ceará (Brazil)
Run over
Bella was found dead in the early hours of 30th October on the edge of Highway 183.
https://goqueer.blogspot.com/2016/12/lgbt-people-killed-in-brazil-oct-17-to.html
http://www.sobral24horas.com/2016/10/misterio-homossexual-e-encontrado-morto.html
http://freelance24horas.blogspot.com.br/2016/10/misterio-homossexual-e-encontrado-morto.html
http://www.reporterfranciscojose.com.br/2016/10/misterio-homessual-e-encontrado-morto.html
Jenifer Pinto Toledo
Age 27
31 Oct 2016
Camboriú (Brazil)
Strangled
Jenifer was strangled at home after an argument. When police officers entered the home they found her lying on the ground with a belt wrapped around her neck.
Her Facebook profile is https://www.facebook.com/jenyfer.rios
https://goqueer.blogspot.com/2016/12/lgbt-people-killed-in-brazil-oct-17-to.html
http://www.meubalneariocamboriu.com.br/travesti-e-assassinado-no-centro-de-balneario-camboriu/
Raina Aliev
Age 25
31 Oct 2016
Moscow (Russia)
Dismembered
Raina was hacked to death and dismembered just three days after marrying her boyfriend. Her own father had publicly called for her murder on television, and although Raina had reported the threat against her to the police, they had done nothing.
Raina’s death was not included in the official TGEU list.
https://www.gaystarnews.com/article/transgender-muslim-woman-hacked-death-russia-days-marrying-man
https://www.ridus.ru/news/235026
Rest in peace. We will not forget.
TDoR 2017: Say their names. Learn their stories. Remember them
With thanks to the many volunteers reporting acts of violence against trans people worldwide, and in particular to Transgender Europe.
