A Minneapolis man has been sentenced to almost 31 years in prison for the murder of Savannah Ryan Williams, a 38-year-old transgender woman, though the court could not prove the crime was motivated by bias. Damarean Kaylon Bible was found guilty of second-degree murder for the 2023 shooting, a tragedy that has resonated deeply within both the local trans community and beyond.
Williams, a well-known figure in the trans community, brought joy and light to those around her, making her death all the more painful for her family and loved ones. Her mother, Kim Stillday, spoke emotionally at the sentencing, referring to Savannah as her best friend, a bond that will continue to shape her family’s memories. Despite the conviction, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty acknowledged the limitations of the investigation, stating, “The fact that we could not charge this as a bias crime does not change the impact on the trans community.”
Across the United States, violence against transgender people, particularly trans women of color like Williams, continues to rise. Activists and leaders within the LGBTQ community stress the urgency of addressing this alarming trend. Minnesota state Rep. Leigh Finke, the first transgender person elected to the state’s Legislature, made a powerful statement, emphasizing that these incidents are more than just statistics: “The data is clear that trans people, especially trans people of color, suffer violence at rates far greater than our cisgender neighbors.”
While Bible’s sentence brings some measure of justice, many in the LGBTQ community feel it’s not enough. The systemic violence that trans people face daily needs more than just legal consequences; it requires a shift in societal attitudes, stronger protections, and a commitment to ending transphobia once and for all.
