Transgender Teen Killed In Mississippi - BuzzFeed News

Police in George County, Mississippi, have charged a suspect with murder in the death of 17-year-old Mercedes Williamson, whose killing marks the ninth confirmed homicide of a transgender person in the United States this year.

The Mississippi Department of Corrections is holding Josh Brandon Vallum, 28, on $1 million bail, police told BuzzFeed News.

A memorial page on Facebook said Williamson was stabbed.

“We don’t have a clear motive yet, and we are getting conflicting reports,” Shonna Pierce, a spokesperson for the George County Sheriff’s Office, told BuzzFeed News.

Among the outstanding questions, Pierce said, was whether Vallum knew Williamson was transgender. “Some say he did, and some say he didn’t. We are getting to the bottom of that,” Pierce said. Police have heard the two knew each other before the homicide, she said, but it was not clear for how long or what the nature of their relationship was.

It was also unclear when the homicide occurred, but police first heard of the case on June 2.

Transgender Teen Killed In Mississippi - BuzzFeed News