In the early morning hours of February 26, 2023, the life of Cashay Henderson, a 31-year-old Black transgender woman, was tragically cut short in her Milwaukee, Wisconsin apartment. Emergency services were called to her residence near 29th and Villard streets for reports of a fire. After extinguishing the blaze, firefighters discovered Henderson's body.
An autopsy later revealed that she had died from multiple gunshot wounds to her head and neck, and the fire was determined to be an act of arson. Neighbors reported hearing a loud noise consistent with a gunshot earlier that morning, followed by the smell of gas and the sight of smoke coming from her apartment.
The investigation into Henderson's death quickly led to a suspect, Cordell M. Howze, a 33-year-old man from Neenah, Wisconsin. Surveillance footage captured Howze with Henderson in her car in the early morning hours of February 26. Another camera showed a man matching his description leaving her apartment later that morning. An acquaintance of Howze told police that he had driven Howze to Milwaukee the day before the murder and that Howze had a handgun. The day after the killing, Howze reportedly confessed to this acquaintance that he had "caught a body" of a transgender person and even showed a cell phone video of Henderson's body.
Cordell M. Howze was subsequently arrested and charged with first-degree reckless homicide, use of a dangerous weapon, and possession of a firearm by a felon. During his trial, it was revealed that Howze had searched for "Milwaukee transgender escort" on the day of the murder. Prosecutors also presented disturbing cell phone videos taken by Howze after he had killed Henderson, in which he mocked her. In June 2024, a jury found Howze guilty on all counts, including first-degree intentional homicide and arson. He was later sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. At the sentencing, the judge noted Howze's long criminal history and the heinous nature of the crime, stating that he not only killed Henderson but also attempted to deface her body and set fire to her home. Henderson was remembered by her family as a "jokester," "independent," and "unapologetic," and was a well-known advocate in the Milwaukee LGBTQ+ community.
