Transgender Woman Murdered [UPDATED]

[JCady]

http://www.myeyewitnessnews.com/news/lo ... 9f8fca3018

I think it's safe to say that we know exactly who are at the top of the suspect list, and given the record of the Memphis Police it's also safe to say that they probably will get away with it.

[The Duchess of Zeon]

MEMPHIS, TN – Duanna Johnson was found shot to death in North Memphis, according to her lawyer.

Memphis police say it happened just before midnight at Hollywood near Staten Avenue, Sunday, November 9, 2008.

According to detectives, when officers arrived at the scene, they found the body lying in the street. Police say a witness heard gunfire and then saw three people running away from the scene. Investigators do not have any suspects at this time.

Lawyer Murray Wells confirmed to Eyewitness News that the person who was killed is his client Duanna Johnson. He says Johnson was often in the area where she was killed.

Murray says Johnson was trying to leave Memphis and go back to her hometown of Chicago. According to Murray, Jonson was just about homeless trying to live in Memphis. He says the apartment where Jonson was living did not have power. Murray says he was helping Johnson buy a bus ticket to Chicago.

Johnson was the subject of an alleged video taped beating that happened in June of 2008. Johnson, who had been arrested on a prostitution charge, said former Memphis Police Officer Bridges McRae beat her after making derogatory remarks about her sexuality. Johnson said another man, Officer J. Swain, held her down during the beating. Both officers were fired from the department.

Johnson was suing the city for $1.3 million.

Memphis Police are asking anyone with information about Duanna Johnson’s death to call Crime Stoppers at (901) 528-CASH.

Incidentally, this is hardly uncommon--the USA accounts for half of all reported (granted, reported) murders of trangendered individuals in the entire WORLD. But perhaps that does drive things home..

[The Romulan Republic]

http://www.myeyewitnessnews.com/news/lo ... 9f8fca3018

I think it's safe to say that we know exactly who are at the top of the suspect list, and given the record of the Memphis Police it's also safe to say that they probably will get away with it.

Just because she was suing over a violent incident with the Memphis police does not mean they killed her if that's what you're suggesting. I have no love for corrupt cops or police in general, but ideally there'd be some evidence they were involved in.

Regardless, its another act of pointless, tragic violence, and however unlikely I hope justice is done.

[Kamakazie Sith]

http://www.myeyewitnessnews.com/news/lo ... 9f8fca3018

I think it's safe to say that we know exactly who are at the top of the suspect list, and given the record of the Memphis Police it's also safe to say that they probably will get away with it.

Why would the Memphis Police Department waste money on officers that they already fired?

[JCady]

The Memphis PD has a long history of transphobia; the only reason they fired those guys was they were stupid enough to get caught making a completely unprovoked physical assault on a trans woman on video.

[Alyrium Denryle]

http://www.myeyewitnessnews.com/news/lo ... 9f8fca3018

I think it's safe to say that we know exactly who are at the top of the suspect list, and given the record of the Memphis Police it's also safe to say that they probably will get away with it.

Just because she was suing over a violent incident with the Memphis police does not mean they killed her if that's what you're suggesting. I have no love for corrupt cops or police in general, but ideally there'd be some evidence they were involved in.

Regardless, its another act of pointless, tragic violence, and however unlikely I hope justice is done.

So here is someone with a definite motive, means, and opportunity, hell, even a Blue Wall to defend them from prosecution. If it looks like a duck... Sorry, but those fired cops are the most likely suspects and you know it.

[JCady]

Basically, the probability of this being seriously investigated by the Memphis P.D. is about the same as the probability of a KKK lynching in the 1960s being seriously investigated. Namely, not a damned chance in hell.

[The Romulan Republic]

So here is someone with a definite motive, means, and opportunity, hell, even a Blue Wall to defend them from prosecution. If it looks like a duck... Sorry, but those fired cops are the most likely suspects and you know it.

Of course they're the most likely based on the information currently available. I'm hardly defending a couple of abusive pieces of shit cops by cautioning against jumping to conclusion. Their is the whole "innocent until proven guilty" deal.

Yes, they should be investigated fully. And yes, if found guilty they should suffer the full penalty of the law. And perhaps I'm making too big a deal over the op's insinuation that they were probably guilty. But I've seen people jump on the presumed guilt bandwagon too many times. If I overreacted to or mischaracterized the op's statement, I apologise.

[Metatwaddle]

Is there any chance of getting the county or state cops to investigate?

[Alyrium Denryle]

So here is someone with a definite motive, means, and opportunity, hell, even a Blue Wall to defend them from prosecution. If it looks like a duck... Sorry, but those fired cops are the most likely suspects and you know it.

Of course they're the most likely based on the information currently available. I'm hardly defending a couple of abusive pieces of shit cops by cautioning against jumping to conclusion. Their is the whole "innocent until proven guilty" deal.

Yes, they should be investigated fully. And yes, if found guilty they should suffer the full penalty of the law. And perhaps I'm making too big a deal over the op's insinuation that they were probably guilty. But I've seen people jump on the presumed guilt bandwagon too many times. If I overreacted to or mischaracterized the op's statement, I apologise.

The problem is, given what Memphis (and indeed Southern in general) cops are like, it wont be investigated fully. I am almost tempted to put a 5 USD Pay Pal wager (as a board donation) on whether or not anyone is ever so much as arrested.

[Knife]

Incidentally, this is hardly uncommon--the USA accounts for half of all reported (granted, reported) murders of trangendered individuals in the entire WORLD. But perhaps that does drive things home..

Is that because we're backwards or because we report the things?

[The Romulan Republic]

The problem is, given what Memphis (and indeed Southern in general) cops are like, it wont be investigated fully. I am almost tempted to put a 5 USD Pay Pal wager (as a board donation) on whether or not anyone is ever so much as arrested.

Frankly I can't think of a police department that isn't grossly corrupt. Is it possible that this case could be turned over to the FBI? How do the rules work regarding jurisdiction? My knowledge is sadly lacking in this aspect of the US Justice System.

[Big Orange]

And remember the poor transgengered woman was also a prostitute and black, so would be a low priority for most police.

[CaptainChewbacca]

Is it just me, or did the article go out of the way to only refer to her in the third person, and never with pronouns?

[Adrian Laguna]

Is it just me, or did the article go out of the way to only refer to her in the third person, and never with pronouns?

Perhaps, if they did so I would consider it an improvement over using the wrong ones.

[Count Chocula]

Don't jump to conclusions that the Memphis PD will fuck this one up because of your own preconceptions. Memphis is perhaps the most laid-back, liberal, rational city in TN. This type of murder, besides being heinous, will also receive national attention. I expect a fully competent prosecution, with the guilty parties identified and found guilty by a jury of their peers.

[Count Chocula]

Edit: Alyrium, I'll take your bet. You win or I lose, $5 to The Mike Wong Foundation after the verdict is read.

[Broomstick]

Incidentally, this is hardly uncommon--the USA accounts for half of all reported (granted, reported) murders of trangendered individuals in the entire WORLD. But perhaps that does drive things home..

Is that because we're backwards or because we report the things?

I suspect the lot of the transgendered is worse in many other nations - in our country these things are reported. In other places "shoot, shovel, shut up" might well prevail.

[Alyrium Denryle]

Edit: Alyrium, I'll take your bet. You win or I lose, $5 to The Mike Wong Foundation after the verdict is read.

Done

[The Duchess of Zeon]

Incidentally, this is hardly uncommon--the USA accounts for half of all reported (granted, reported) murders of trangendered individuals in the entire WORLD. But perhaps that does drive things home..

Is that because we're backwards or because we report the things?

I don't know. The statistic could either be good or bad.

[Stormbringer]

So here is someone with a definite motive, means, and opportunity, hell, even a Blue Wall to defend them from prosecution. If it looks like a duck... Sorry, but those fired cops are the most likely suspects and you know it.

Of course they're the most likely based on the information currently available. I'm hardly defending a couple of abusive pieces of shit cops by cautioning against jumping to conclusion. Their is the whole "innocent until proven guilty" deal.

No doubt the former officers are on the list. But seeing as how she apparently was a sex-worker (based on the prostitution arrest), there are plenty of other potential suspects. Being a hooker is hardly a safe job; a gang related attack or robbery is at least as plausible at this point. They tend to attack those they perceive as weaker and a trans-woman would certainly qualify, assuming the murderers even knew.

Incidentally, this is hardly uncommon--the USA accounts for half of all reported (granted, reported) murders of trangendered individuals in the entire WORLD. But perhaps that does drive things home..

Is that because we're backwards or because we report the things?

I don't know. The statistic could either be good or bad.

Well, the US is probably going to generate a good chunk for both positive and negative reasons. We're advanced enough such procedures are possible, progressive enough these individuals can live semi-openly, and there are those that care. I doubt there are many other places that can say that outside Canada and a small-ish chunk of Europe. On the other hand, there are a lot of backwards people that commit crimes against them.

[RogueIce]

Is it just me, or did the article go out of the way to only refer to her in the third person, and never with pronouns?

Perhaps, if they did so I would consider it an improvement over using the wrong ones.

Did you two not read the article or something? Even counting when they were just saying her name they used the third person 11 times, while using a pronoun 7 times (and it was feminine, FYI).

That's going out of their way to "only refer to her in the third person, and never with pronouns" how, exactly?

As a caveat, I could have miscounted. But I should hope my point is clear.

[JCady]

And remember the poor transgengered woman was also a prostitute and black, so would be a low priority for most police.

She was not a prostitute. To the Memphis PD (as to most large city PDs), being nonpassing transgender and out after dark automatically makes you a prostitute, because obviously only a whore would dress like that in public. Especially transgender women of color, because it's "obvious" that they're "really" black men, and everyone "knows" black men are sex maniacs.

It's one of the most vicious bits of transphobia that people have to face every day. Just trying to be yourself makes you a criminal, not because you're doing anything that's the slightest bit suspicious but because you're a "perverted freak".

[JCady]

So here is someone with a definite motive, means, and opportunity, hell, even a Blue Wall to defend them from prosecution. If it looks like a duck... Sorry, but those fired cops are the most likely suspects and you know it.

Of course they're the most likely based on the information currently available. I'm hardly defending a couple of abusive pieces of shit cops by cautioning against jumping to conclusion. Their is the whole "innocent until proven guilty" deal.

No doubt the former officers are on the list. But seeing as how she apparently was a sex-worker (based on the prostitution arrest), there are plenty of other potential suspects. Being a hooker is hardly a safe job; a gang related attack or robbery is at least as plausible at this point. They tend to attack those they perceive as weaker and a trans-woman would certainly qualify, assuming the murderers even knew.

If you'd paid the slightest attention to the case, you'd notice that the police department dismissed all charges against her, because there was zero evidence whatsoever that she was a sex worker. The arrest was made purely on the discretion of the two officers who brutalized her, and it's blatantly obvious that they arrested her for no other reason than being bigoted mouth-breathing retards who wanted to play a little bit of "beat the crap out of the tranny freak".

And you know what? They pretty much got away with it -- they only lost their jobs, when they should be in prison for aggravated assault and battery.

[Kamakazie Sith]

And remember the poor transgengered woman was also a prostitute and black, so would be a low priority for most police.

She was not a prostitute.

Do you know her personally?

To the Memphis PD (as to most large city PDs), being nonpassing transgender and out after dark automatically makes you a prostitute, because obviously only a whore would dress like that in public. Especially transgender women of color, because it's "obvious" that they're "really" black men, and everyone "knows" black men are sex maniacs.

Also, to most large cities you need to offer sex for money to be considered a prostitute. So, how do you know she didn't do this?

It's one of the most vicious bits of transphobia that people have to face every day. Just trying to be yourself makes you a criminal, not because you're doing anything that's the slightest bit suspicious but because you're a "perverted freak".

So, you're saying that police in large cities specifically hunt down transgender people and then falsely accuses them of prostitution just for walking. They throw out the audio recordings that they use for normal prostitutes when dealing with transgender prostitutes?