On June 25, 2020, the body of 17-year-old Brayla Stone, a Black transgender girl, was discovered inside a vehicle parked on a walking path in Sherwood, Arkansas, a suburb of Little Rock. Her death was quickly ruled a homicide. Investigators determined she had been shot and killed. The tragic event drew national attention, highlighting the violence faced by transgender people, particularly transgender women of color.
Vigils were held in her honor, with community members calling for justice and an end to the misgendering of transgender victims by police and media.
Within a week of the discovery of Stone's body, police arrested 18-year-old Trevone Hayse Miller in connection with her murder. Initially charged with capital murder, Miller had a criminal history, having been previously charged with capital murder and aggravated robbery in a separate case when he was 14. In that earlier case, he had agreed to testify against his co-defendants in exchange for being prosecuted as a juvenile. Witnesses in Stone's case told detectives that Miller was the last person to be seen with her. There were also claims circulating on social media that an individual had bragged about being paid $5,000 to kill Stone, though a direct link to Miller was not officially confirmed as the primary motive.
Prosecutors ultimately asserted that Miller killed Stone to prevent her from revealing their sexual relationship. According to court documents, Miller was afraid that people would perceive him as gay if their relationship became public. In August 2021, Trevone Miller, then 20, pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of first-degree murder. In exchange for his guilty plea, he was sentenced to 50 years in prison. Under the terms of his sentence, he will be required to serve at least 35 years before becoming eligible for parole.
