Pgh Lesbian Correspondents

A 31-year-old Black trans woman was beaten to death in her Chicago home on April 5, 2026. Her name was Davonta Curtis.

Police have arrested and charged a 24-year-old man with first-degree murder and possession of a stolen vehicle per Them.

The Crime

According to Chicago news outlets, Davonta was in an “on again, off again” relationship with the killer. They were seen earlier that day celebrating Easter with family. They returned to her apartment. He left near 1 AM according to video from the scene.

Davonta’s sister found her body on April 8, 2026. Her body was naked, partially covered by a sheet, and surrounded by a large pool of blood, according to LGBTQNation.

Police found the murdered with a bloody hammer and Davonta’s personal possessions. He admitted to striking Davonta with a hammer until she stopped moving. A forensic search of his online activity revealed multiple Google searches for advice on killing someone with a hammer.

I included more brutal details than normal because this is both not normal, but happens far too often to Black trans women in particular. The only thing that will wake people up is hard truth.

I also am not naming the person who took her life. You can find that at the various links. It is absolutely appalling to me that credible news outlets are displaying his photo alongside hers. She shouldn’t have to be linked – especially her image – to him in death. Again, you can find his image elsewhere if that matters to you.

This is what intimate partner violence and/or domestic violence look like.

Honoring Davonta

Born and raised in Chicago, Davonta graduated from Crane Technical Prep High School. Her social media feeds are filled with references to her family, especially nieces and nephews – celebrating their accomplishments, spending time with them. She frequently posts about her friends, recalling adventures they had together and going back and forth in the comments section. She liked fashion, shared recipes, and asking engaging questions.

Davonta has just moved into her apartment in December 2025. She has many social media profiles and seemed to enjoy having fun with it. Davonta was also known as Tae Tae and Snoopy by her loved ones.

That’s why they went looking for her after all. They came for her and I suspect they will follow every motion of the legal proceedings.

It has been reported that Davonta was a sex worker. I have not found confirmation either way. I draw attention to this to say that no one deserved this violence. That the media obsession with mentioning sex worker and the name/image of the person who murdered her feeds into dangerous narratives and stereotypes implying some people deserve violence or bring it on themselves. Tying Davonta to shame is a woeful misunderstanding of her life – check out her profiles to get a glimpse into a fierce, bright, and brave woman who was loved and valued by her family for her true self. And that shame is misplaced.

Outfront Magazine reports that a neighborhood vigil to honor and grieve Davonta generated insight into her personality. Friends lit candles and tied pink balloons to honor her. One image shows a solitary balloon tied to the doorknob of what appears to be her apartment.

As news of her death spread, friends and local activists gathered to remember a woman they described as a “bright light” who navigated a world that was often unkind to her with grace and a sense of humor. “Davonta was the kind of person who could walk into a room and immediately make you feel seen,” says a close friend during a neighborhood vigil. “She deserved to grow old, to see her dreams through, and to live without the constant shadow of fear that haunts so many of us.”

There is no word on final arrangements.

Context

Davonta is the second 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. It is on all of us to honor those who lives were taken in shadows, in silence, and under cover of anti-trans bias.

Davonta is the second known trans person who died from violence in the US in 2026. She is the second trans woman, the second Black trans woman, and the second BIPOC trans person whose death has been reported.

Chicago has been the site of far too many violent deaths of trans folx: In 2024, Redd ‘Barbie’ Joseph. In 2023, Unique Banks, Dominic Palace Dupree, Lisa Love, and Lovely Page were killed in Chicago. In 2022, Tatiana LaBelle and Martasia Richmond were killed in Chicago. 2021 saw the deaths of Tyianna Davarea Alexandra, Tiara Banks, and Brianna Ulmer Hamilton In addition, Disaya Monaee Smith and Ke’Yahonna Stone were both killed elsewhere in Illinois. And in 2020, Selena Reyes Hernandez and Eshay Key were killed in Chicago.

17 trans women, almost all BIPOC trans folx, and most Black trans women of color have been murdered in or near Chicago since 2020, six years. This deadly violence has been real for a long time and it is being weaponized by the right wing as part of their efforts to isolate and erase trans people and trans identities.

A lot of media coverage has referenced sex work, something not uncommon in this coverage. There is no shame in sex work. The shame is putting the moral culpability only on the workers, not the consumers. The shame is lack of opportunities and choices. The shame is denying agency and presuming desperation. The shame is adding this unnecessary context to the reporting on her death at the hands of an intimate partner. And the shame is indicating this was tied to her murder without any evidence. The media should do better.

As I’ve been writing this post, my thoughts drift to the sister who found Davonta’s body in such a horrific aftermath. I don’t know which sister, nor do I need to. Knowing someone you love died so brutally and being the first witness is a different level of trauma. The victims of trans genocide – there is debate whether this word is appropriate. Genocide is an intentional effort to completely or partially destroy a group of people, usually based on different criteria. Some use anti-trans genocide. I’m unsure of the best terminology and it is not my place to assign it.

Imagining the horror her sister experienced when she stepped into that apartment is itself a form of terror and violence indicative of the costs of anti-trans violence, legislation, sermons, denying medical care, the lies and the fear sown for the sake of tamping down anyone who challenges a gender binary. Clearly, Davonta is the key victim, but we’d fail everyone if we didn’t stop to acknowledge how that genocidal component moves outward to families and the community. The man who killed her reportedly was afraid that his relationship with a trans woman would lead people to question his sexual orientation. His level of self-loathing was so deep that rather than simply end the relationship, he had to end her to relieve his anguish.

That’s very difficult to contemplate and yet another reason we must continue to listen to the trans community who want these violent acts to be visible and documented.

Rest in power, Davonta. Your death is a deep loss to those who loved you and those of us who did not know you. The joy and love you shared with your family remains palpable. I hope the many people who are showing up for you provides comfort to them. You deserved so very much better. I am deeply sorry we did not keep you safe.

May your memory be a revolution.

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.