In the early morning hours of July 31, 2017, TeeTee Dangerfield, a 32-year-old Black transgender woman, was found in her car at the South Hampton Estates apartment complex in College Park, Georgia, having sustained multiple gunshot wounds. Emergency services transported her to Grady Memorial Hospital, but she succumbed to her injuries en route. Dangerfield was a beloved server at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, known for her warm and friendly demeanor, and was also an active member of
her union, UNITE HERE Local 23. Shortly before her death, she had been seen on surveillance video at the 50 Yard Line sports bar and grill. The footage showed her entering the bar and leaving alone about two hours later, just an hour and a half before she was discovered miles away.
The investigation into her death led College Park police to 26-year-old Tyrone Kemp. Investigators stated they had evidence placing Kemp with Dangerfield at the time of her death. While Kemp did not confess, he did admit to investigators that he had met up with her before she was found. On August 22, 2017, Kemp was arrested at the Union City car dealership where he worked and was subsequently charged with malice murder. Initially, police did not confirm if they believed Dangerfield's gender identity was a motive for the killing, though her family expressed their belief that it was a factor. Her mother later stated her belief that her daughter was killed because she was a transgender woman, alleging that friends of Kemp were teasing him for being in a car with her.
Tyrone Kemp remained in jail for four years awaiting trial for the murder of TeeTee Dangerfield. In 2021, a jury found him not guilty of the charges. Following his acquittal, in November 2023, Kemp filed a federal lawsuit against one of the College Park police officers who investigated the case. The lawsuit accuses the officer of lying on an affidavit that led to his arrest and alleges malicious prosecution and wrongful incarceration. Kemp is seeking a jury trial and unspecified damages for lost wages and other hardships. The homicide investigation remains unresolved.
