On February 23, 2018 a transgender woman, Phylicia Mitchell was shot outside her home in the Edgewater neighborhood Cleveland Ohio. On arrival to the hospital, she was pronounced dead despite attempts by EMS to revive her. Nobody has been apprehended by police as a part of this murder.
Phylicia Mitchell’s common-law husband, Shane Mitchell says “She was a good person” to Metro News. Mr. Mitchell explained to Cleveland.com that they
had an impromptu ceremony to celebrate their union last year with a few friends and family attending. Ms. Mitchell’s family was not originally supportive of her
transition. Ms. Mitchell did not have support from family and as a result, left Pittsburgh and settled in Cleveland. Ms. and Mr. Mitchell met shortly after and had been together for thirty years. Mr. Mitchell reports that some members of Ms. Mitchells family had become supportive years later and she was in communication with some family. Mr. Mitchell says “I just want Justice for whats happened”
In a youtube video with Celeveland.com, Mr. Mitchell explains a life of drug abuse with Phylicia Mitchell. “We had a rough life together going through what we went through. Through addiction, being homeless, staying from this house to that house. Staying from a normal environment such as this, to people in and out the door buying drugs and sitting around doing drugs and crazy stuff.” Mr. Mitchell’s explanation of their substance abuse situation describes an epidemic in the trans community.
Ms. Michell’s murder marks the seventh known transgender murder in 2018. Transgender Americans are facing an epidemic of violence at a rate rarely seen. The known victims of 2018 are as follows Christa Leigh Steele-Knudslien of Adams, MA. murdered on January 5, 2018; Giccky Gutierrez of South Los Angeles, CA. murdered on January 10, 2018; Zakaria Fry and Carrell Ray of Albuquerque, NM. murdered on January 18, 2018; Celine Walker of Jacksonville, FL. murdered on February 4, 2018; Tonya Harvey of Buffalo, NY. murdered on February 6, 2018.
Anyone with information on this murder is asked to email us at [email protected]
This is an ongoing story and we will keep you up to date as we get more information