Trial date set for man charged with death of trans woman Cashay Henderson

A trial date has been set for the man charged in connection with the death of Black trans woman Cashay Henderson.

Henderson, a 31-year-old Chicago woman who was remembered by loved ones as a bubbly spirit “as beautiful as can be”, was found dead in her home on 26 February 2023.

Firefighters were responding to reports of a fire at Henderson’s house when they discovered her unconscious and not breathing and suffering from a gunshot wound.

The fire was ruled as arson after investigators discovered suspicious items at the scene, such as a gas can. An autopsy would later lead police to rule Henderson’s death as a homicide.

On 5 March, police charged 33-year-old Cordell M. Howze in connection with Henderson’s death.

Later that month, Howze appeared in court to establish if he was fit to stand trial.

According to records seen by Fox6Now, Howze submitted a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity, but it was rejected.

Now, his jury trial has been scheduled for June 2024.

Howze faces charges of first-degree reckless homicide and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Howze had been released from Winnebago County Jail just two days before Henderson was killed.

He had been in custody for violating his extended supervision sentence after being released from prison.

According to a criminal complaint, Howze had shown up to a friends’ house the day that Henderson was found dead, and had been “acting strange.”

After allegedly showing his friend a video of what appeared to be a dead woman, Howze reportedly told his friend that he wanted to kill “several other people”, at which point his friend asked him to leave because “he was pointing [a] gun at people.”

Prosecutors have reported that Henderson’s belongings were found at Howze’s grandmother’s house, which was “consistent with the evidence that Howze went to her house, killed her, and attempted to burn the house and stole her purse, watch and mail.”

Henderson was the third Black trans woman to be killed in Milwaukee in the space of nine months, following 28-year-old Brazil Johnson and 35-year-old Regina “Mya” Allen.

Following news of her death, Henderson’s cousin Veronica Beck launched a GoFundMe epage to cover funeral expenses, raising a total of $6,816 (£5,340).

The fundraiser description noted that Henderson had been “a bubbly spirit with a down-to-earth, tell-it-like-it-is personality.

“Cashay was a transgender female and was as beautiful as can be, inside and out. Cashay didn’t deserve what happened to her.”