Milwaukee family calls for justice in transgender woman’s death

By Cyreia Sandlin

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    MILWAUKEE (WISN) — A new call for justice this week in the killing of Cashay Henderson. Henderson was found shot to death in her apartment set on fire in February.

Her family is now questioning why hate crime charges are not being filed in her death.

Ada Henderson remembers her sister on what would have been her 32nd birthday.

“Cashay was a great person, she was very kind, very loving, and she didn’t deserve this,” Henderson said.

Almost four months ago, Milwaukee firefighters discovered Henderson dead from gunshot wounds after responding to a house fire on N 29th Street.

Cordell Howze faces several charges in Henderson’s murder. According to the criminal complaint, Howze was seen on surveillance video with Henderson in her car the night of her death.

The next day, Howze showed up at a friend’s home in Neenah, with a gun, saying he “caught a body of a disgusting (expletive) tran.”

“Cashays death was the third murder in a very short amount of time and so it’s this constant fear,” said Chris Allen, CEO of Diverse and Resilient, a local LGBTQ+ group.

Allen says the recent deaths of Black transgender women in Milwaukee is alarming. He’s supporting a new petition, launched by the Henderson family in collaboration with CommunityX, that requests hate crime charges be filed against Howze.

The petition also wants the NAACP to recognize Henderson’s death.

“It’s important that there’s increased visibility, that organizations stand up and show their support for trans individuals and trans communities,” Allen said.

Milwaukee police initially identified Henderson as a male, which Allen says is damaging to the trans community.

“The misgendering that happened right after her murder sends a powerful message to the trans community,” Allen said.

In a statement to WISN, MPD said:

“The Milwaukee Police Department respects all persons inclusively. In this instance, based upon information available to MPD at the time, it was determined to identify the decedent by birth sex. MPD is committed to fostering a positive relationship with the LGBTQIA+ Community.”

As Henderson’s case works its way through the legal system, her family vows to continue fighting.

“My family and I just want justice for what happened to her; that’s all I can say,” Henderson said.

At the time of her death, Henderson was the sixth transgender person killed this year in this country.

WISN 12 News reached out to the district attorney to ask about the possibility of hate crime charges in this case but has not heard back yet. The suspect in Henderson’s death is scheduled to appear in court Thursday.

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