Pgh Lesbian Correspondents

Eryka Caldwell was stabbed to death in her New York City apartment on Sunday, May 17, 2026. Eryka was a 41 year old Black trans woman. Her death at the hands of her intimate partner, her boyfriend, highlights yet another vulnerability trans neighbors face in a society increasingly hostile to them.

The Crime

Them.us has the details of the murder at the hands of her former intimate partner, Jonathan Fernandez.

Caldwell yelled for help while she was being stabbed, according to prosecutors. Police climbed in through a window and found Fernandez sitting calmly on the couch while Caldwell was dying on the floor, per The Post. The New York Police Department told local media outlets that Caldwell was stabbed multiple times and that her attacker fatally cut her throat. After police responded to the call, Caldwell was transported by emergency response services to One Brooklyn Health-Brookdale Hospital Medical Center where she died.

Fernandez’s next court date is May 22, per public records and his bail has been remanded, meaning he cannot be released. Prosecutors added that Fernandez has claimed self-defense, saying that Caldwell swung at him first.  

Eryka’s sister, Contessa, spoke at length about the abusive conduct of Fernandez. Eryka sought help from shelters and police, but he found her. Contessa explained that Eryka did not confide in her family. That’s not unusual – fear, shame, protective feelings are often reasons victims keep quiet.

The story of Eryka’s death must include how hard she fought to stay alive – she sought refuge in shelters, she contacted 911 during the attack, and she called out for help with each of her final breaths. She is not a survivor, sadly, but she is not just a victim. She clung to life with the tenacity of someone who will not go quietly.

Her life mattered. The reverence we take with her story matters.

Honoring Eryka

Eryka was born in Louisville, Kentucky in 1985. She lived in Indiana before relocating to New York City.

Eryka graduated college in 2023 and had just recently moved into her Bushwick apartment.

Eryka’s cousin posted this amazing memorial on Reddit. You should read it. We should all deserve to be honored this way, but for circumstances more peaceful and gentle. I could only wish one of my cousins loved me this way.

The TransUnitedFund shared “Those details are painful, and they should be handled with care, not spectacle. They matter because they show the severity of the violence, but they should never be allowed to swallow the fuller truth of who Eryka was.”

Friends in New York organized a local vigil in late May. Her family set up a crowdfund to help return her body to Kentucky where plans for burial have not yet been finalized.

Context

Eryka is the tenth trans person whose violent death has been reported in the US during 2026. I have no doubt there have been other violent deaths, they are just hidden for reasons I laid out earlier.

Eryka is the seventh trans person of color, and the sixth Black transperson on this list for 2026. She is the sixth trans woman, the fifth trans woman of color and the fourth Black trans woman on our list.

I share this context because we need to understand the different ways anti-trans violence manifests. There’s an intersection between racial justice and trans identity, as well as intersections between trans identity and domestic violence. There is also class/economic intersections, health intersections, age, education, location, housing stability, and more.

Eryka is the second trans woman on our list who lived in New York State, along with Aleanna Royal Belcher 

From New York State, we’ve documented the deaths of these trans neighbors. In 2025, Elisa Rae Shupe, Ezra Hulett and Sam Nordquist. In 2024, Cecilia Gentili and Honee Daniels. In 2022, Chanelika Y’Ella Dior Hemingway aka “Sid”. From 2020, Lexi, Tiffany Harris, and Alexandria Winchester. In 2019, we memorialized Yahira Nesby. From 2018, Tonya ‘Kita’ Harvey. In 2017, Brenda Bostick, Josie Berrios, and Kashmire Redd,

I’ve often thought violent deaths from New York City are underreported, but looking at this list brings a pattern to light. From January 2025 to April 2026, there have been four reported violent deaths of trans folx. Out of nine reported deaths total. One of those deaths was of a native of Albany, did not take place in New York. And if you don’t include Ezra, that’s still a third of the reported deaths in a 16 month period.

Without the official databases, we are floundering with these stories. I am so grateful Eryka has people who celebrate and document her life, who advocate for domestic violence resources, who sprinkle her spirit and fight to live throughout the world. Most of our memorial victims do not have that level of absolute support.

Eryka’s violent murder is appalling. She fought for her life, reaching out to 911 and calling for help. Each time I think about those final moments, sobs escape my lips just imagining her fear and despair. Her death is on the hands of every person who votes for or against funding for domestic violence programs. It is in the heart of each person who rationalizes the abusive behavior of someone they love, looking away rather than helping the victim become a survivor.

It is in the minds of each person who finds a way to blame victims for their own murders – if they had done this or that, if they were transparent about their gender identity (assuming they weren’t), if they had left sooner or ran further or fought back. She had every right to expect safety in her own home. This cold bastard didn’t start this abusive conduct that night. No person and no system could stop him. He’s claiming self-defense. Of course he is. That’s become de rigueur when people accuse trans folx of anything, the alleged crime is their existence. Being a trans person is reason enough to be assigned guilt for a myriad of crimes, including your own violent death at someone else’s hands.

But Eryka’s loved ones have made sure she will be remembered for how she lived her life and her defiant struggle to live even in her final moments. Her life had meaning far beyond the story of her death. Them.us did a solid job documenting Eryka’s story with a lot of solid references for people turning out in response to the tragedy.

Rest in power, Eryka. You deserved to live in peace and security. You deserved a love that cherished and protected you. I hope your story will move mountains to create more resources and protect others.

May your memory be a revolution.

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Deaths reported in 2026

These individuals are part of the trans community including transgender, nonbinary, gender nonconforming, and gender creative folx. Please do not share this content without attribution. Thank you

1. Shyyell Diamond Sanchez-Mccray – Petersburg, Virginia. March 13, 2026. Age 42.
2. Davonta Curtis – Chicago, Illinois. April 5, 2026. Age 32.
3. Dannielle Spillman – San Francisco, California. April 16, 2026. Age 74.
4. Aleanna Royal Belcher – Binghamton, New York. April 17, 2026. Age 31.
5. Lucas Redbeard Knapp – Candy Kitchen, Cibola County, New Mexico, April 18, 2026. Age 39.
6. Hailey Singleton – Dunnellton, Florida, May 5, 2026. Age 29.
7. Lanessa Rodriguez – Ft Pierce, Florida, April 28, 2026. Age 35.
8. Jade Roberts – Houston, Texas, January 2, 2026. Age 25.
9. Paris Harris – Dallas, Texas, April 17, 2026. Age 21.
10. Eryka Caldwell – New York, New York, May 17, 2026. Age 41.

Other Deaths

We are following these cases, but cannot confirm the details right now.

1. Daniella Analee Escobedo – Las Vegas, Nevada (unconfirmed), April 12, 2026. Age 34.