In the early morning hours of June 5, 2016, a tragic event unfolded in New Orleans that cut short a young life. In a desolate area on Flite Court, first responders were called to the scene of a vehicle engulfed in flames. After extinguishing the fire, they made a grim discovery inside the charred remains of the car: the body of 20-year-old Devin Diamond, a Black transgender woman who was also known by the name 'Goddess' Diamond.
An autopsy would later reveal the horrifying truth that she had died from blunt force trauma before the fire was set, leading investigators to rule her death a homicide and arson.
Devin, who was described by her mother as kind and loving with a big heart, had recently returned to her native New Orleans after her family was displaced by Hurricane Katrina. She was building a new life for herself, having just moved into a new apartment only days before her death. Friends and coworkers remembered her as a beloved and kind individual, with one colleague noting the loss of not just a friend, but an LGBTQ leader. On the night she was last seen, she had reportedly borrowed a roommate's car to attend a party and was never heard from again.
The investigation into Devin's murder was handled by the New Orleans Police Department, with the FBI assisting to determine if her death was a hate crime. Surveillance footage from near the scene reportedly captured a man approaching the car shortly before it burst into flames. The same individual was allegedly seen leaving and returning to the area, once with a container. Despite this potential lead and the ongoing investigation into the brutal slaying, no suspects have been publicly identified, and no arrests have been made in connection with her death, leaving her family and community still searching for answers and justice for her untimely and violent end.
