Just a few days ago, Dee Whigham was revealed to be the 16th known transgender person murdered in 2016 after being found in a hotel room she was sharing with friends. Unfortunately, the death of a 17th trans* person has already come to pass. 

Skye Mockabee, 26, was found unresponsive in a Cleveland parking lot early Saturday morning. After the owner of a store called the authorities, EMS found her body lying next to a tow truck bleeding from her mouth. She was pronounced dead around 8:30 a.m., according to Cleveland.com.

Cuyahoga County authorities incorrectly identified Mockabee as a male and medical examiner’s used her birth name. While not much information has been made available, police haven’t declared whether or not Mockabee’s gender identity played a role in her death.

Cuyahoga County has been the site of the deaths of four trans women in four years. Perhaps this is a sign that the community is long overdue for some education on transgender identification and safety.

Photo Credit: Twitter

Author

  • Keith Reid-Cleveland is a proud product of Chicago's Southside and the Missouri School of Journalism. The Black Youth Project News Editor has written about politics, race and entertainment for multiple publications, such as Uproxx, The Undefeated, Black Nerd Problems, Comic Book Resources and more.