Mesha Caldwell
Mesha Caldwell
Mesha Caldwell (1976 - January 4, 2017) was a transgender beautician and hairstylist from Canton, Mississippi.
Memory
Mary Young, a friend of Mesha's mother said Caldwell was a beautician and hairstylist.
"She always, always dressed like a girl," Young said.
"And as she grew up, she became beautiful just like a lady."
She added, "I really don't know why somebody would want to kill her."
After news reports of Caldwell's death, friends and loved ones flooded social media with messages to her and her family.
Emily Waters, senior manager of national research and policy at the New York City Anti-Violence Project, said the organization was "deeply saddened" by news of Caldwell's death and sends their thoughts and condolences to Caldwell's family.
"This is the first homicide of a transgender person that NCAVP has responded to in 2017, during a time of heightened fear and increased violence against LGBTQ communities," Waters said in a statement. "As we continue to hear more reports of violence, we must remind ourselves that this violence is not normal and fight harder than ever to keep transgender people safe."
Education
Mesha studied at Jackson State University and previously attended Canton High School. [1]
Murder
On January 4, 2017 Mesha was found shot to death on a Madison County, Mississippi road on Wednesday. The murder was the first murder of a transgender person in 2017.
The Madison County Sheriff's Office (Mississippi) received a call around 3:45 pm that a body was in the road on Heindl Road near Old Yazoo Road, just outside the Canton city limits.
Mesha's death is being investigated by police as a homicide and the investigation is ongoing.