Monica Roberts, 58, died in Houston on Oct. 5. Her body was found in the parking lot of an apartment complex in west Houston and wasn’t identified until two days later.
The medical examiner found that she died of an unspecified “medical emergency.” Roberts was known for the blog TransGriot which gained national attention for identifying murders of transgender people, especially trans women of color, around the country.
Roberts challenged media to report the name and gender of the individual rather than calling the victim “a man in a dress.” She challenged law enforcement to work with the transgender community to investigate the murders rather than blaming the victims.