Who killed Simmie Williams?
02.24.2009 10:23am EST
(Fort Lauderdale, Florida) A year after the brutal murder of transgender teen Simmie Williams, police in Fort Lauderdale are not near making an arrest.
The body of the 17-year-old was found Feb. 22, 2008, in a pool of blood in an area frequented by transsexual prostitutes. Williams was declared dead in the hospital.Police said that Williams was wearing female clothing and may have been working as a prostitute. She also was known to go by the names Chris and Beyoncé.
Police said that people nearby heard Williams arguing with two men, but did see the argument. Then two shots rang out.
On Sunday, Williams’ family and friends gathered at the spot of her killing for a candlelight vigil. A number of local politicians and law enforcement officials also attended.
“I won’t have peace until his killer is caught,” Williams’ mother, Denise King, told the Sun-Sentinel before the vigil began.
Police say they have not given up.
“We have not forgotten about Simmie, and we will not forget about Simmie,” Fort Lauderdale Police Detective Brice Brittenum told the crowd.
But investigators say they still don’t have a motive, let alone a suspect. It remains unclear if the slaying was a hate crime or a robbery gone wrong.
The site of the killing is near that of another unsolved murder of a trans woman who was transitioning and still using her birth name, Timothy Broadus, in 2003.





It sounds like the police are just dragging their feet on this one. More important murders to solve, you know?
Well you can bet that the former mayor of Ft. Lauderdale wasn’t putting any pressure on the cops to solve this crime. He has shown his prejudice and homophobia on more than one occasion. I agree the police seem to be doing little to nothing about catching the murderer. I also find it interesting that they mkention another murder still unsolved. I am wondering if you check back further just how many more “unsolved” murders of GLBT people you would find on the books.