A 17-year old transgender teenager was found brutally murdered in Cabool, Missouri.
Ally Lee Steinfeld, who had recently come out as transgender in May, had her eyes gouged out and her genitals stabbed before her burnt remains were stuffed into a plastic bag. Her remains were found in chicken coop near a mobile home where she lived in Cabool. Her family had reported her missing on September 14th.
Four youths have been charged with her murder including three suspects who she lived with, 24-year-old Briana Calderas and 18-year-olds Andrew Vrba and Isis Schauer. The three have been charged with first-degree murder and abandonment of a corpse. The fourth suspect is 25-year-old James Grigsby. He was charged with abandonment of a corpse and tampering with evidence. The suspects are all being held without bond.
Steinfeld’s family had told police they believed the suspects were lying about Ally’s whereabouts. When questioned, Schauer had told the police that she last say Steinfeld leaving the home after a confrontation with Vrba. According to a report by Yahoo News, a sheriff’s deputy obtained permission to look at her phone and saw Facebook messages from Schauer ordering Vrba to “stick to the story” and “quit talking”. According to case documents, Vrba later admitted he killed Steinfeld while Schauer also admitted she knew of the murder and helped to dispose of Steinfeld’s body. Vrba also admitted to detectives that the trio had burned Steinfeld’s body and later disposed of it by putting the remains in a plastic bag and hiding it in a chicken coop. He additionally revealed that he tried to poison Steinfeld initially, but when she refused to drink the liquid, “he used a knife instead.”
Steinfeld’s sister, Ashleigh Boswell, spoke with Springfield’s News-Leader and described Ally as “a very loving, outgoing person” who “didn’t like conflict whatsoever.” A GoFundMe page has been created to assist the family with funeral expenses.
Ally Lee Steinfeld is the 21st confirmed transgender person murdered this year.
Rest in power Ally Lee Steinfeld.
Here are the names of the 21 victims of transgender murders in 2017:
Mesha Caldwell, 41 years old
Jamie Lee Wounded Arrow, 28 years old
JoJo Striker, 23 years old
Jaqarrius Holland, 18 years old
Keke Collier, 24 years old
Chyna Gibson, 31 years old
Ciara McElveen, 21 years old
Alphonza Watson, 38 years old
Chay Reed, 28 years old
Kenneth Bostick, 59 years old
Sherrell Faulkner, 46 years old
Kenne McFadden, 26 years old
Josie Berrios, 28 years old
Ava Le’Ray Barrin, 17 years old
Ebony Morgan, 28 years old
TeeTee Dangerfield, 32 years old
Gwynevere River Song, 26 years old
Kiwi Herring, 30 years old
Kashmire Redd, 28 years old
Derricka Banner, 26 years old
Ally Lee Steinfeld, 17 years old
