Bakersfield Trans woman Jasmine Sierra murder unknown due to deadnaming

Transgender woman Jasmine Sierra murder on Jan 22 was previously unknown due to police and media deadnaming and misgendering. But thanks to a reader’s tip we are learning the truth. Piecing together her life like a crossword puzzle we are learning a little about her and hopefully as people read this we will learn more.

There’s a Tumblr post where the author postulates a police conspiracy to cover up her murder which local media conspicuously called “suspicious”.

Then there’s the tribute page for Jasmine created by her family on the Bakersfield Green Lawn cemetery website. Much to her families credit, they used her authentic name, but sadly there’s no obituary and just one friend who posted a comment.

R.I.P. Jasmine Sierra December 26, 1963 – January 22, 2016

“Her name is Jasmine Sierra” Her friend Shantell Waldo told planet trans today “And she was a wonderful woman who I have known for about eight years. When I first met her she had lost a shared home, and had a very hard time getting back on her feet and into housing. She had never legally changed her name, and was afraid to because she had been arrested before and was petrified of the legal system. She found a complex that would rent to her and she stayed for a while , but left because she was being harassed, and her apartment was broken into. “She never had any support from her family,” Shantell said. “Another friend of hers told me a story about Jasmine going to her mothers home to bring her flowers. They had both been at the house for about 15 minutes before the mother called by her dead name and said that she had already been there too long. Like so many she had survived, on her own, and with few trusted friends in her life. Her murder took place in her new apartment that she had no complaints about, and so little is known. The sheriff interviewed her best friend because she had dropped off a new friend of theirs. She said that they asked her drug use because they found needles,but she used them because she was a diabetic. They asked about drugs etc, but seemed to have no real leads. One of our local LGBTQ leaders, Whitney Wadell contacted the detective so that they knew the community was watching, so that her murder didn’t remain unsolved, and he said that they have no leads at all. I don’t understand how their can be no witnesses when she was beaten to death, in a middle apartment of a tiny complex? On the news her neighbor said they heard a gunshot in the distance that night, but nothing from the apartment. The neighbors reported to the police that her door was open, and her dog was out, and she didn’t respond when they called. The sheriff told her friend that they were investigating in the apartment for almost ten hours, and it was “brutal” so somebody had to hear something. Jasmine was a beautiful human being that did not deserve to have her life end like this”.

Published by KBAK/KBFX January 22, 2016. TW misgendering and deadnaming.

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Police said they are investigating a homicide in east Bakersfield.

Robert Sierra, 52, was found dead in an apartment Friday morning on the 1000 block of Monterey Street, police said.

Sgt. Gary Carreusco said the body had signs of trauma but would not release more details about the cause of death.

Neighbors said they heard gunshots in the area and were questioned by police about sounds of gunshots or fighting.

Frankisha Harris is one of the neighbors questioned by police. She said her neighborhood is typically quiet.

“I walk past there almost every day to go to the store, so I would see people out there,” Harris said. “But would never think that something could happen so close to where you live.”

Anyone with information helpful to the investigation is asked to call police at (661) 327-7111.

Kelli Busey Editor in Chief at Planet Transgender | Website Kelli Busey an outspoken gonzo style journalist has been writing since 2007. In 2008, she brought the Dallas Advocate on-line and has articles published by the Reconciling Ministries Network, The Transsexual Menace, The Daily Kos, Frock Magazine the TransAdvocate, the Dallas Voice and The Advocate. Kelli, an avid runner is editor in chief at Planet Transgender which she founded in 2007.

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