Do you know who killed Ashanti Carmon in 2019? In the pre-dawn hours of Saturday, March 30, 2019, the life of 27-year-old Ashanti Carmon was tragically cut short on the streets of Fairmount Heights, Maryland. A Black transgender woman, Carmon was discovered on the 5700 block of Jost Street, having sustained multiple gunshot wounds. The evening before, she had enjoyed a dinner and a movie with her fiancé, Phillip Williams, before going out with friends while he was at work.
Williams would later express his profound grief, stating, 'She did not deserve to leave this earth so early, especially in the way she went out.'
The investigation into her death was turned over to the Prince George's County Police Department. Despite the brutality of the crime, authorities did not immediately identify any suspects or a motive. The case drew significant attention from local LGBTQ activists, who highlighted the disproportionate violence faced by transgender women of color. A candlelight vigil was held in her memory on the same block where she was killed, with friends remembering her as a person with 'so much motivation, passion, and just very driven to actually be somebody.'
A disturbing development in the story emerged a few months later with the killing of another transgender woman, 23-year-old Zoe Spears, just a few blocks from where Carmon was murdered. Spears and Carmon were friends, and some in the community believed Spears may have witnessed Carmon's murder. An arrest was made in Spears' case; however, police have stated that they do not believe the two murders are connected.
To date, no arrests have been made in the murder of Ashanti Carmon, and her case remains unsolved. A cash reward was offered for information leading to the arrest of her killer. Her death is a stark reminder of the dangers and violence that continue to plague the transgender community.
