Who Killed Sasha Wall? New Details On The Unsolved Murder Of The Transgender South Carolina Woman
Sasha Wall was one of several transgender women murdered in 2018.
She was one of eight transgendered women murdered in 2018, yet her murder remains unsolved. Who killed Sasha Wall?
The murder of Sasha Wall sparked outrage throughout the United States. She was the eighth transgender woman murdered in the USA in 2018, and to this day, her killer remains on the loose and her murder remains unsolved.
Let’s look at what we know about the unsolved murder of Sasha Wall.
1. The South Carolina sheriff said that there wasn’t enough evidence to classify Sasha Wall’s murder as a “hate crime.”
According to The Daily Beast, one of the main reasons Sasha Wall’s murder sparked outrage across the United States was because the South Carolina sheriff refused to classify her murder as a hate crime.
Sheriff Jay Brooks told the outlet that there “wasn’t enough evidence” to do so.
“Whoever killed her, they were furious,” Brooks surmised. He also revealed Wall’s body had several bullet wounds and that investigators believe the shooter may have been sitting in the passenger seat. The local sheriff’s office has launched an investigation into the homicide,” said the outlet.
2. She was shot to death — and passing motorists found her body.
According to The Advocate, the only thing that can be said for certain about Sasha Wall is that she was shot to death. The outlet reports that when her body was initially found, she was misgendered (that is, referred to as a male) and deadnamed (that is, referred to by her birth name) by the South Carolina media. What’s more, she was shot several times in the neck and shoulder, and found in an open field in rural Chesterfield county.
Sheriff Brooks told the outlet that her car had been found on the side of the road, running for nearly two hours.
“Investigators think Walls knew her killer, he said, and they haven’t characterized her killing as a hate crime, deeming it more likely the result of a domestic dispute. James Robert Lee, a former boyfriend of Wall's, told WSOC he had seen her Saturday, and everything appeared to be fine. “She didn’t give any vibe that anything was wrong,” he said to the outlet.
3. Hate crimes are common in the area.
According to Mic, hate crimes against the gay and lesbian community are common in the area. The outlet reports that Sasha Wall lived in a mobile home in the town of Pageland, in rural Chesterfield county. Pageland made national headlines when a business owned by Tim and Neil Griffin, a gay couple, was burned to the ground. As is perhaps, unfortunately, to be expected, police in the area have made no headway regarding that crime, either.
4. What else could possibly be the motive?
According to Black Girl Tragic, Sasha Wall most likely knew her killer, but that isn’t saying much, since statistically speaking, homicides are more often committed by people the victim knows than by a stranger. Activists have been calling on the public to “say her name,” so that people realize the severity of the crime committed against her. But if hate wasn’t the motive for Sasha Wall’s death, what else could possibly be the motive?
5. The investigation is still ongoing.
The Anti-Violence Project is encouraging the public to continue to help the South Carolina police with their investigation. The AVP, whose goal is to “end violence against and within lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ) and HIV-affected communities,” encourages its supporters to take action against violence within the community, and to report any details that may lead to an arrest and a conviction to the South Carolina police.
Bernadette Giacomazzo is an editor, writer, and photographer whose work has appeared in People, Teen Vogue, Us Weekly, The Source, XXL, HipHopDX, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, and more. She is also the author of The Uprising series. Find her online at www.bernadettegiacomazzo.com and www.longlivetheuprising.com.