In the late autumn of 2021, the community of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, was shaken by the violent death of a beloved individual. Brandon Murray, a 36-year-old Black transgender woman known to her friends as 'B,' was found deceased in her Linmar Terrace apartment on November 11, 2021. Aliquippa police had been dispatched to her home for a welfare check that morning and made the grim discovery. An autopsy would later reveal that Murray had died from multiple gunshot wounds. Her death was quickly ruled a homicide, and the Pennsylvania State Police took over the investigation.
Friends of Murray remembered her as a 'fabulous' and vibrant person who loved to dance and sing. They described her as a fashionista who was skilled at doing hair and nails. In the wake of her death, friends and advocates voiced concerns that she may have been targeted because of her gender identity and called for the murder to be investigated as a hate crime. A local Black and trans-led non-profit organization, Sisters PGH, covered Murray's funeral expenses, highlighting the profound impact of her death on the transgender community.
The investigation into Brandon Murray's murder spanned over a year. Investigators utilized various forms of evidence to piece together the events leading to her death. Surveillance footage from the area of Murray's apartment on November 9, 2021, captured a man matching the description of a potential suspect. This, combined with cell phone records placing the individual near the victim's apartment and showing communication between them in the hours before her death, pointed to a person of interest. A significant breakthrough came from DNA evidence found at the scene, which established that the suspect had been in physical contact with Murray before she was killed.
In February 2023, more than a year after the discovery of Murray's body, an arrest was made. Darese Raines, a 46-year-old from Aliquippa, was taken into custody and charged with homicide and illegal possession of a firearm. During an interview with police in May 2022, Raines had denied any involvement, though he did admit to knowing Murray. The case against Raines proceeded to trial, where the DNA evidence played a crucial role. In October 2024, a Beaver County jury found Darese Raines guilty of the first-degree murder of Brandon Murray. While a clear motive for the murder was not definitively established during the trial, prosecutors were able to secure a conviction based on the strength of the physical and digital evidence. Although friends had initially feared a hate crime, authorities concluded there was insufficient evidence to support such charges. The verdict brought a sense of justice to Murray's family and friends, who remembered her as a friendly and fun-loving person who was loved by many.
