Man sought over death of black trans woman found burned in a car already wanted in connection with another killing
Bee Love Slater was at least the 18th trans person to be killed in the US this year. (Facebook)
Police have identified a person of interest in the killing of black trans woman Bee Love Slater in Florida.
James Richemond, 29, has been identified as a person of interest in Slater’s death. She was found burned in an abandoned car in Clewiston, Florida, earlier this month.
Investigators also revealed that Richemond is a person of interest in the killing of Jamal Hubert, who was found dead in a canal in June. Hubert was not transgender.
At this stage, authorities are not identifying Richemond as a suspect in the killing.
James Richemond reportedly sent Bee Love Slater ‘threatening messages’.
Sheriff Steve Whidden of Hendry County said that Richemond had sent Slater threatening messages before she was found dead, according to The New York Times.
He did not give further details of the content of the messages and did not give additional details about his potential connection to Hubert’s death.
Sheriff Whiddon refused to say whether Slater’s death is being considered as a hate crime just yet, but said the investigation is “kind of leading toward that way”.
She loved to be around people and meeting new people too because of her new lifestyle that she transitioned into.
Slater’s body was found burned beyond recognition in a car on September 4. She was the 18th transgender person and the 17th black trans woman known to have been killed in the United States so far this year.
Friends believe she was targeted because she was trans and was outgoing.
Trans woman Bee Love Slater ‘loved to be around people’.
“She was a real people person,” Desmond Vereen told local news station NBC2.
“She loved to be around people and meeting new people too because of her new lifestyle that she transitioned into.”
Meanwhile, another friend, Kenard Wade, told WINK News that Slater “knew someone wanted to harm her, and she wanted to get away”.
Wade said that he was sure Slater was the victim as soon as he saw photos of the crime scene, although it took the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office until September 6 to publicly name her.
Just last week, a Latina trans woman was allegedly shot multiple times by a truck driver in Dallas. The driver reportedly shouted transphobic slurs at her before shooting her.
