On February 8, 2017, 23-year-old Demajio Striker, a transgender woman from Toledo, OH, was found shot to death in a vacant garage on Austin Street in North Toledo. Striker, who was known as "JoJo" in the community, was pronounced dead at the scene with at least one gunshot wound to the torso. The Lucas County Coroner's Office confirmed her identity.
The investigation into Striker's death initially faced challenges, with Toledo police stating they had no immediate suspects or motives.
However, in March 2022, Antonio Scott, then 22 years old, was arrested and charged with Striker's murder based on DNA evidence collected after a 2020 arrest for unrelated charges. Scott was convicted of one count of murder and one count of felonious assault, both with gun specifications, in May 2023. He received a sentence of 15 years to life for the murder charge and four to six years for the assault charge, to be served concurrently.
During Scott's trial, witnesses testified that he had paid Striker for sex and, upon discovering that Striker had male genitalia, demanded his money back. Scott allegedly hit Striker with his gun multiple times before shooting her in the chest and fleeing the scene. A former resident of the neighborhood, Brian Lee Sr., testified that Scott confessed to the murder while in jail.
Shanda Striker, Demajio's mother, expressed relief and exhaustion after the trial, stating that justice had been served but acknowledging the tremendous loss her family had suffered. She also emphasized that the crime was not random and believed it to be a hate crime.
The case highlighted the challenges faced by transgender individuals and the importance of community support in seeking justice for victims of violence.
