In the summer of 2021, a promising life was tragically cut short in a Suitland, Maryland, apartment. Taya Ashton, a 20-year-old Black transgender woman, was found fatally shot on July 17. Her death sent ripples of grief and outrage through the community, highlighting the ongoing violence faced by transgender people, particularly women of color.
In the days following the discovery of Ashton's body, investigators began to piece together the events that led to her murder.
There were no signs of forced entry into her apartment, suggesting that she likely knew her attacker. This suspicion was later confirmed as the investigation focused on 27-year-old DeAllen Davonta Price of Capitol Heights. Price and Ashton had been in an intimate relationship for about three months.
Price was apprehended the day after Ashton's murder in Arlington, Virginia, on an unrelated robbery charge. During his arrest, which occurred in a train tunnel, authorities recovered a weapon that was later linked to Ashton's killing. Phone records also placed Price in communication with Ashton on the night she was killed.
During the investigation, the motive behind the senseless act of violence became chillingly clear. Price admitted to being with Ashton in her apartment on the night of the murder. Prosecutors revealed that Price shot and killed Ashton after he learned that she was a transgender woman.
In October, DeAllen Price pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a crime of violence. In January 2024, he was sentenced to 60 years in prison, with all but 48 years suspended. Following his release, he will be subject to five years of probation. The resolution of the case brought a measure of justice for Taya Ashton and her loved ones, but her death remains a stark reminder of the dangers and discrimination that transgender individuals continue to face.
