CHICAGO — A transgender woman was found dead late Wednesday night in Chicago’s West Garfield neighborhood, local media reported.
The Chicago Sun-Times reported that the woman was identified as Ciara Minaj Carter Frazier. She was with a male inside an abandoned building in the 4500 block of West Adams, according to the newspaper. When a disagreement flared up, he reportedly proceeded to stab her and then leave her body in the backyard of the building.
From the Sun-Times:
Frazier was pronounced dead at the scene, police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said. An autopsy Thursday found she died of multiple sharp force injuries and her death was ruled a homicide.
Area North detectives were investigating.
She was also the second trans woman killed in Chicago in a little over a month. On Aug. 30, 24-year-old Dejanay Stanton was found shot to death in the 4000 block of South King Drive in Bronzeville.
Detectives were still investigating Stanton’s killing as of Thursday night.
“It feels like we are being targeted,” LaSaia Wade, executive director of Brave Space Alliance, told the Sun-Times. “I’m frustrated and upset with the lack of cases turning around. There is a lack of needs for our safety from police.” Brave Space Alliance is a black- and transgender-led LGBTQ community center on Chicago’s South Side.
“Ciara’s murder is a stark reminder to us all that the transgender community is specifically being targeted for acts of violence and hate crimes,” a Facebook post from the north side Center on Halstead stated. “Across the nation and right here in Chicago, transgender women of color are especially at risk.”