Black trans woman Martasia Richmond stabbed to death aged 30

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Martasia Richmond, a Black trans woman, was murdered in Chicago, becoming the 20th trans person to have been violently killed in the US this year.

The Chicago Police Department (CPD) answered a domestic battery call at 11:46pm and found an individual later identified as Richmond with multiple stab wounds at the 5700 block of South Damien.

She was taken to the University of Chicago Hospital, with authorities pronouncing her dead at approximately 12:14am on 12 July. Richmond was identified by her deadname through the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office.

According to TransGriot, CPD officers canvased the neighbourhood only to be turned away by witnesses, with officers saying “many were very uncooperative to deal with”.

Police currently have no suspects, but are urging anyone who knows anything to come forward.

The Facebook group Trans In-Formation posted about Richmond’s murder, showing respect toward her family and those affected by the killing.

“The work of true activism and advocacy truly goes unnoticed many times when you have so many people out there doing it performatively and sensationalising it,” the post said. “We are at the average of three trans deaths a month, mainly of colour with no one out here discussing the horrible genocide of our lives.

“My heart goes out to the blood and chosen families of Martasia that knew her and respected her how she presented herself to the world.”

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Richmond’s death is at least the 20th reported killing of a trans or gender non-confirm person this year in the US alone, as well as the 13th Black trans woman.

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) keeps track of violence against trans women, and documented a record 57 killings of transgender or gender non-conforming people in 2021.

In 2022, the community has mourned: Amariey Lej, Duval Princess, Cypress Ramos, Naomie Skinner, Matthew Angelo Spampinato, Paloma Vazquez, Tatiana Labelle, Kathryn “Katie” Newhouse, Kenyatta “Kesha” Webster, Miia Love Parker, Fern Feather, Ariyanna Mitchell, Raymond “Ray” Muscat, Nedra Sequence Morris, ​​Chanelika Y’Ella Dior Hemingway, Sasha Mason, Brazil Johnson, Shawmaynè Giselle Marie and Kitty Monroe.