DALLAS (WBAP/KLIF) – A town hall meeting with the Dallas Police Department and the city’s LGBTQ community is set for Thursday night.
The meeting has been planned for months but comes within a week of the shooting death of a Dallas transgender woman. Police said Tuesday that Muhlaysia Booker’s murder could be connected to two other recent cases of violence against transgender women.
According to Police, since July 2017, the Dallas Police Department is aware of four investigations involving transgender women that resulted in their death or assault. 
“Although these cases are not directly related at this time, they do bare some similarities that the public should be made aware,” Major Vincent Weddington told reporters.
The first offense occurred in July 2017, which involved a transgender woman. In this incident, the victim’s remains were discovered in a field. The cause of death was undetermined. The investigation was classified as an Unexplained Death.
Weddington said the second investigation, which occurred in October 2018, involved a transgender woman who was shot in a vehicle in the 7100 block of Gayglen Drive. The victim in this case died of her injuries. Detectives were unable to obtain any valid suspect information. This investigation was classified as a Murder and remains open.
Investigators said the third investigation was an Aggravated Assault offense that occurred in April 2019. In this case, the victim was stabbed multiple times and left for dead. But, the victim survived and provided detectives with a description of the suspect. Detectives are now working to determine if there are any connections to the other investigations.
The fourth investigation involves Muhlaysia Booker who was found shot to death Saturday in the 7200 block of Valley Glen Drive.
“During the course of these investigations, detectives have learned that besides all victims being transgender females, two of the victims were in the area of Spring Avenue and Lagow Street prior to the offenses occurring,” said Major Weddington. “It has also been determined that two of the victims got into a vehicle with someone. In another case, the victim allowed someone into their vehicle.”
According to DPD, Detectives have not established a direct link between these cases and will continue to work with its federal partners to determine if any of the offenses should be considered hate crimes.
As a part of the department’s LGBTQ+ outreach, DPD will participate in a town hall meeting Thursday, May 23 at 6:30 p.m., at the Resource Center in Dallas, located at 5750 Cedar Springs Road.
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