Friends Ask Police To Investigate Aliquippa Trans Woman's Homicide As Hate Crime
ALIQUIPPA, Pa. (KDKA) - There are new details on a murder deeply affecting the Black trans community.
"It was how he was taken. It was a tragedy. It's so heinous. It's ugly, it's violent, but we as his friends, the ones he has picked, we gotta memorialize this."
Friends of Brandon Murray, known as B, are demanding justice, asking police to investigate this as a hate crime.
State police released four sentences on this murder so far, saying someone shot Brandon Murray to death inside her Aliquippa apartment. Brandon went by B and identified as trans with some friends. Those friends now fear this was a hate crime, another attack on the local trans community.
Best friend Kia Reddick says the word "fabulous" first comes to mind.
"He loved to dance, he was a singer, he was a singer, but that wasn't his strong suit, but he loved to do hair, nails. She was just a fashionista," said Kia Reddick.
She's always used he/his pronouns with Brandon, but knows she identified differently with other friends.
They walked the LGBTQ journey together.
"Being a male, my friend fought, he sacrificed, he gave up a lot of things to become who he was today," said Kia Reddick.
That's why she's heartbroken looking at the life B built.
"He worked so hard for it and I'm so proud of him and he knows that I am," Kia Reddick said.
Almost one week ago, someone murdered B inside an apartment on Linmar Terrace.
"I pray what was done in the dark comes to the light," said friend Joan Reddick.
Sisters PGH, the area's Black and trans-led non-profit, covered B's funeral expenses, saying this is a major hit to the trans community.
With no word on any suspects, friends say this: "He's out here, he's out here. He's out here now and he'll probably be looking at this, but you're gonna get caught. You're gonna get caught. You won't hide for long," said Joan Reddick.
The executive director of Sisters PGH says these attacks on Black and brown trans are happening more frequently in our area. News of this murder sends shockwaves of fear through the community. The organization is praying someone comes forward with information.
