Michigan Police Search For Killer Of Transgender Woman Who Recently Graduated Nursing School

Ashia Davis was a “beautiful soul with a heart of gold,” a friend says.

June 23, 2023

Facebook

By: Aaron Rasmussen

A transgender woman who just finished nursing school was killed in Michigan, and authorities are searching for her killer.

“She was ready to take on the world, and she was ready to help,” Alantae Martin told CBS News Detroit about his 34-year-old sister, Ashia Davis. “And she was ready to care for others, and she was ready to give back to her community.”

On June 2, Davis was found dead inside a Woodward Inn room in the Detroit suburb Highland Park.

The Michigan State Police recovered surveillance video that shows a man considered to be a person of interest walking and running through a parking lot at the hotel around the time when police believe Davis was murdered. He reportedly is wearing black Adidas jogging pants, black Nike shoes and a blue hooded sweatshirt or jacket and has a distinctive gait.

“While the video is from a distance and the photo is blurry, we are hopeful that someone will recognize this person,” Public Information Officer and First Lt. Mike Shaw said, The Detroit News reported.

A GoFundMe set up by a friend notes the victim was a “beautiful soul with a heart of gold.”

“Ashia is a part of the transgender community that is often targeted,” the page states. “She has a family that includes an aging mother that is just completely devastated.”

Julisa Abad, a victim advocate for the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office and Director of Transgender Advocacy for the Fair Michigan Justice Project, noted that “trans women of color, specifically, experience the most violence” in the LGBTQ community.

Anyone with information about the person of interest or the case is urged to call (855) MICH-TIP or Crime Stoppers at (800) SPEAK-UP.

Texas Family Still Looking For Missing Transgender Woman Who Vanished In 2017

Kimberly Avila disappeared from Brownsville, Texas, near the Mexico border, in May 2017.

Next Up

Quadruple Homicide In Texas Yogurt Shop Remains Unsolved After Over 30 Years

Who brutally murdered teenagers Eliza Thomas, Jennifer Harbison, Sarah Harbison, and Amy Ayers in 1991?

Brooklyn Teen Charged With Hate Crime In Killing Of O'Shae Sibley

O'Shae Sibley was voguing to Beyoncé’s “Renaissance” album when Dmitriy Popov began spewing racist, homophobic slurs at him before allegedly fatally stabbing him in the chest.

80-Year-Old Woman Charged In 1985 Cold Case Murder Of Romantic Rival

A love-triangle resulted in the tragic murder of Yvonne Menke nearly four decades ago. The alleged killer, now 80, has finally been arrested for shooting her three times in her head and neck.

Remembering Selena: ‘She Was Just An Amazing Soul’

The iconic musician was shot and killed by the president of her fan club almost three decades ago.

Man Accused Of Murdering Grad Student In L.A. Furniture Store Indicted On New Charges

In January 2022, Shawn Laval Smith allegedly attacked 24-year-old Brianna Kupfer after he entered the business where she was working alone, police say.

Colorado Security Guard Arrested For Murder Found With Severed Hand In His Pocket

After police in Pueblo, Colorado, discovered the decapitated body of a woman in a creek, they arrested a security guard who was found with a severed hand in his pocket.

Oregon Man Arrested For 1974 Cold Case Murders Of Two Teen Boys

In 1974, Steven Paul Criss allegedly shot and killed two teenagers in Washington County, Oregon. Two years later, in 1976, he killed his commanding officer in the army with the same gun.

Teen Found Dead On The Side Of The Freeway Possibly A Sex Trafficking Victim, LA County DA Says

A 16-year-old girl was found murdered along the freeway on January 8, and her family says the case is not receiving the attention it deserves.

Nurse Accused Of Killing Babies At U.K. Hospital Sentenced To Life In Prison

Lucy Letby was convicted of the murders of seven babies, and the attempted murder of six more.

Texas Father, Son Arrested In Connection With Pregnant Teen, Boyfriend Found Shot

Police say surveillance video and phone data aided detectives in making sense of a “very, very perplexing” crime scene.