Police Say They Know Name of Trans Woman Found Dead Two Weeks Ago

Authorities found her body floating in White Rock Creek on Saturday evening. She was wearing a black shirt and black scrubs bottoms. At a little over 5 feet tall, the black transgender woman had no tattoos and no marks on her body to identify her. And as of Thursday afternoon,...

By Dalton Laferney

May 18, 2018

A police sketch of the woman found dead in White Rock Creek. Police are trying to find out her name. Dallas Police Department

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Authorities found her body floating in White Rock Creek on May 12. She was wearing a black shirt and black scrubs bottoms. At a little over 5 feet tall, the black transgender woman had no tattoos and no marks on her body to identify her. It took them over a week to identify her.

On Tuesday, police said they know her former name. But people in the trans community in Dallas knew her as Nicole.

For now, the police are investigating the case as an unexpected death, but that could change depending on what the Dallas County Medical Examiner's Office has to say about the cause of death.

So far in 2018, nine transgender women have been killed across the country. Seven have been women of color.

The most recent recorded death happened in Dallas last week. Carla Patricia Flores-Pavon was found strangled in her North Dallas apartment. On Thursday, Dallas police announced the man they believed to have killed her was arrested in Walker County, down Interstate 45 not far from College Station.

Violence against trans people — mostly against black or brown trans women — is on the rise in this country. Last year was the most deadly year for trans people since data on anti-trans crimes has been recorded. There were 28 trans people killed in the United States, according to the Human Rights Campaign.

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