On August 12, Trevone Hayse Miller pleaded guilty to the murder of Brayla Stone of North Little Rock, Arkansas. He murdered the 17-year-old transgender girl over a year ago to cover up their sexual relationship.
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported that Miller’s friends and people acquainted with him told police that he was afraid people would say he was gay. He reportedly said Stone was going to make their relationship public.
Tori Cooper of the Transgender Justice Initiative said, “Brayla Stone was a child. A child just beginning to live her life. A child of trans experience. A young Black girl who had hopes and dreams, plans and community.”
“As a nation, we failed Brayla — as we have failed every transgender or gender non-conforming person killed in a country that embraces violence and upholds transphobia, racism, homophobia.”
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The teen was found dead inside of a car with gunshot wounds to her head, after being reported missing.
Investigators also noticed the overwhelming smell of bleach inside the car, discoloration marks from the bleach, and other content.
According to an arrest affidavit, Miller was an automatic suspect since he hadn’t shown up for work at Arby’s the day before Stone’s body was found, and he had called his manager, Lekeia Tutt, to let her know.
Miller called his boss, saying, “I f * * * * d up, and I f * * * * d up big time. I messed up and won’t be back for a very long time, if ever.”
According to the publication, Stone was the 17th person out of 44 trans people killed in the U.S. in 2020. It was a record number of trans killings in the country.
