On August 21, 2022, a 30-year-old Native American transgender woman named Acey Morrison was shot and killed in a trailer home in Rapid City, South Dakota. Morrison, a member of the Lakota tribe, was also described as Two-Spirit. Her death left her family and friends seeking answers and justice, a process that would be fraught with delays and frustration.
The circumstances leading to Morrison's death began with a connection made on the dating app Grindr, where she met a man named Gregory
Landers. According to what investigators told Morrison's family, she and Landers met at his home on a Saturday night. They reportedly did not engage in a sexual encounter, but Landers invited Morrison to stay the night because she had been drinking. The situation took a fatal turn the following morning when an altercation allegedly began after Landers asked Morrison to leave. A struggle over a 12-gauge shotgun ensued, ending with Landers fatally shooting Morrison in the chest. He then called 911 and claimed he had acted in self-defense.
For over a year, no charges were filed in Morrison's death, causing significant distress to her family. The Pennington County State's Attorney's Office cited the complexity of the self-defense claim as a reason for the lengthy investigation. During this time, Morrison's family, particularly her mother, Edelyn Catches, felt left in the dark and expressed their frustration with the lack of communication from prosecutors. Initial reports from law enforcement also misgendered Morrison, which caused further pain to her loved ones and confusion within the community.
In February 2024, a Pennington County grand jury indicted 53-year-old Gregory Landers on charges of first-degree manslaughter, ingestion of a controlled drug, and possession of a firearm by someone with a prior drug conviction. Landers was subsequently arrested by U.S. Marshals in Decatur, Indiana. In March 2024, Landers pleaded not guilty to all charges. His defense has filed a motion to dismiss the manslaughter charge based on a claim of self-defense immunity, with a hearing on the matter scheduled for August 2024 and a trial set for November 2024.
