Police arrest suspected murderer of trans woman after catching him in a lie

Police in Milwaukee, Wisconsin have charged 29-year-old Antonio Currin for allegedly murdering Chyna Long, a 30-year-old Black transgender woman, on October 8. Currin reportedly told police that he was at work during the time of Long’s murder, but investigators found proof to the contrary.

A witness saw a man matching Currin’s description at the site of the murder at 7:47 a.m. local time, just before others reported hearing gunshots in the area. When police arrived, they found that Long had been shot multiple times as she lay dying in the street.

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Houston man gets 36 years in prison for murdering a transgender woman

The victim, 22-year-old Tracy Williams, is remembered as funny, creative, and courageous.

Video recorded Currin’s tan-colored Chevrolet Impala speeding away from the crime scene. He told police that he had been at work from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the day of the murder. However, police discovered that he actually clocked into his work site at 7:52 a.m. and showed up in his vehicle just three minutes before clocking in, disproving his alibi, The Journal Sentinel reported.

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Investigators also allegedly found bullet casings in his vehicle that matched casings at the murder scene, WISN reported.

Currin has been charged with first-degree reckless homicide and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Because he was convicted in 2013 for a felony charge of fleeing law enforcement, he was legally forbidden from owning a gun. A judge set his cash bail at $150,000. Police have identified no motive in the alleged shooting.

Long grew up in Milwaukee and lived in Chicago, Illinois for the last eight years. She had returned to Milwaukee to comfort her father over the recent death of his brother. Her father, Jonathan Long, told APG-Wisconsin that he feels his daughter’s murder was a hate crime.

“I just cried for days until I couldn’t even muster up tears anymore. My eyes were hurting,” he said. “I regret not asking her ‘What’s going on’ [before her death].”

Last Thursday, The Wisconsin Assembly passed three bills banning gender-affirming healthcare for trans youth and blocking trans student-athletes from competing on school sports teams matching their gender identity. Though state Gov. Tony Evers (D) has pledged to veto the legislation, Justin Roby of the statewide LGBTQ+ advocacy organization Diverse + Resilient says such legislation inspires violence against trans people.

“The broader issue of violence against transgender women in Milwaukee is supported by systemic issues that need to be addressed,” Roby said in a statement. “Harmful legislation that discriminates against transgender people has a cascading effect on their lives, contributing to higher rates of mental health challenges, social isolation, and violence against them.”

Long is the fourth identified Black trans woman murdered in Milwaukee since June 2022, and she’s at least the 20th transgender or gender non-conforming murder victim in the U.S. in 2023, according to the Human Rights Campaign.