Asia Jynaé Foster, a 22-year-old Black transgender woman, was tragically killed in Houston, Texas, on November 20, 2020. Her body was found by a passerby near East Greenridge Drive in Southwest Houston. According to police reports, Foster was shot and then her body was moved to the location where it was discovered. The circumstances leading to her death remain unclear, but friends and family believe she was targeted because of her gender identity.
On October 7, 2022, Houston police
announced the arrest of Jermal Tyrelle Richards, a 32-year-old man, in connection with Foster's murder. Richards was charged with one count of murder and is being held without bond. Investigators believe that Foster met Richards at his apartment complex near the Houston Galleria on the evening she was killed. Richards has yet to appear before a judge to enter a plea.
Foster's death was reported on Transgender Day of Remembrance, a day dedicated to honoring those in the transgender community who have lost their lives to violence. Her friends and family described her as outgoing, funny, and a beacon of light in her community. A candlelight vigil was held for her at the Montrose Center, an LGBTQ resource center in Houston.
The case has drawn attention to the alarming number of violent deaths of transgender and gender non-conforming people in the United States. According to the Human Rights Campaign, Foster's death was at least the 38th violent death of a transgender or gender non-conforming person in the U.S. in 2020, marking the highest number of such deaths since the organization began tracking this violence in 2013.
Foster's mother, Bird Foster, has expressed her desire for justice and for Richards to face the consequences of his actions. She has also highlighted the broader issue of violence against transgender people, calling it an epidemic. The case remains under investigation, and the community continues to seek justice for Asia Jynaé Foster.
