Outrage follows acquittal in De'Janay Stanton homicide case

CHICAGO, ILL. - Prominent Chicago LGBTQ advocates, civic leaders, and the family of De’Janay Stanton are convening Friday morning at the Cook County Building to publicly respond to the recent acquittal of the man charged in her 2018 homicide.

The press conference follows a Cook County jury’s not-guilty verdict for Tremon Hill, 25, who had been charged with first-degree murder in connection with Stanton's death. According to organizers, speakers intend to "honor Stanton’s life, stand in solidarity with her family, and call for thorough and equitable investigations, transparency with surviving families, and meaningful investments in community safety." The decision has reopened raw wounds across Chicago’s LGBTQ community and renewed urgent conversations regarding how the criminal legal system investigates and prosecutes fatal violence against Black transgender women.

Background: The 2018 killing of De’Janay Stanton

On the afternoon of August 30, 2018, 24-year-old De’Janay Stanton was found unresponsive in an alleyway along the 4000 block of South King Drive in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood, having suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the head. Known among friends, family, and organizers for her vibrant personality and generous heart, her death sent shockwaves through both local and national communities, marking at least the seventeenth reported killing of a transgender person nationwide that year.

Prosecutors eventually brought charges against Hill, who was 17 years old at the time of the shooting, alleging that phone records and text messages linked him directly to Stanton shortly before her death. At trial, however, defense attorneys emphasized the absence of physical evidence connecting him to the crime scene, pointing out that Hill's fingerprints and DNA were not found on Stanton's body or vehicle. After deliberating on October 23, the jury returned a verdict of not guilty, leaving the homicide officially unresolved.

The Pushback: Systemic injustice and unanswered loss

The verdict has ignited widespread sorrow and frustration across the community. Black transgender women face disproportionate rates of fatal violence nationwide, and advocates emphasize that this acquittal fits into a devastating pattern where violence against trans women of color frequently ends without legal accountability. Furthermore, Stanton’s family spent more than eight years navigating procedural delays, only to reach an outcome devoid of closure. Grassroots organizers have long argued that crimes targeting trans individuals often suffer from under-resourced or deprioritized early investigations, which can compromise the evidentiary strength required to secure convictions years later.

Leaders call for systemic change and civic cction

Friday’s briefing unites coalition partners directly alongside Stanton’s mother to demand rigorous investigative protocols and increased public safety investments for marginalized residents. The speaker lineup features several prominent local figures, including Equality Illinois CEO Channyn Lynne Parker, Chicago Therapy Collective Director of Development and Strategic Priorities Stephanie Skora, City of Chicago Director of LGBTQ Affairs Antonio V. King, Life is Work CEO Zahara Bassett, and Cook County Commissioner Kevin B. Morrison of the 15th District.

With the press conference falling just days before Election Day on November 3, participants underscored that accountability extends beyond the courtroom, noting that "justice is shaped not only in courtrooms but at the ballot box." Leaders pointed out that "the officials we elect decide how violence against Black trans women is investigated, which communities receive safety resources, and whether our laws protect LGBTQ people or leave them vulnerable." Consequently, organizers are issuing an urgent call to action, planning to "urge Illinoisans to vote and to elect leaders who share our values and will fight for a state where every person is safe, seen, and protected."