It’s with a sad heart that we report the murder of a Black CIS woman Michelle Dionne Peacock age 59 who was murdered allegedly because it was assumed she was transgender.
“I had enough!” “A male acting like a woman” “I’ll do it again” all quotes from Tommy Wayne Earl while speaking with officers.
According to reports on June 30, 2023 at 1:40pm officers responded to a homicide at the Merle Henderson Apartments in Richmond Indiana following a 911 call stating that “a man possessing a knife had been threatening a woman in the area and that the woman was in serious danger.”
Unfortunately upon arrival officers found Michelle Dionne Peacock unresponsive and she was pronounced dead on the scene. According to the affidavit, Tommy Wayne Earl who also confessed to the crime stated “I had enough!” Earl told investigators that the dispute stemmed from a dispute he had been having with the victim for several months. Even referring to the victim as “a male acting like a woman” continuing on saying that the victim who is a CIS woman (assigned female at birth and identified as female) was using the gazebo near his (Earl) apartment and wasn’t happy about it. Earl also says that this wasn’t the first interaction claiming in a previous altercation with Michelle that a gun was pointed at him but there’s presently no proof of that.
Michelle was a survivor and a fighter as she was said to be fighting cancer but lost her life to senseless violence!
This is a scary reality of what’s taking place when the political climate which is already trying to encourage the erasure of trans folks and LGBQIA+ folks by passing all of these bills targeting us. Earl brought up some mental health concerns during his interview with police but also said he was aware of what was taking place and what he did.
It’s a sad reality that even CIS women that are assumed as trans are in danger and honestly it’s nothing new!
This is one of the first cases that I’ve covered like this but not the first I’ve heard of and a harsh reminder of why we fight for the rights of trans folks because the attacks on trans folks can also lead to attacks on other people that may have nothing to do with being trans but has everything to do with their identity.
You’ve joined the ancestors may you rest on and watch over us #WeWillSayHerName Michelle Dionne Peacock! To her family friends and loved ones we send our deepest condolences.
A very special thank you to our friends at the Trans Doe Task Force for making sure we were aware of this story.
Written by: Dee Dee Watters
