Free Press Staff

A transgender man has died after succumbing to injuries inflicted upon him during an assault at a homeless encampment last week, Burlington police said in a news release.

Amos Beede, 38, of Milton was pronounced dead Sunday at the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington. Police said they believe the assault occurred hours before Beede, a transient, was found lying on the ground unconscious at 11 a.m. on May 22.

Beede identified as a male, police said. In an email, police added that the investigation so far suggests that the motive for the alleged attack may not solely revolve around Beede's transgender status.

"The department has not ruled out the victim's transgender status as a possible additional motive, and will seek to determine what role if any it may have played as the investigation continues," an email from Chief Brandon del Pozo stated. "Until the attendant facts are clarified, we will continue to view this homicide as a possible bias incident. We will release further information as it develops."

Lt. Shawn Burke said in an email that the attack does not appear to have been random. In a news release, police identified two persons of interest in the case, Erick Averill, 21, and Myia Barber, 23, both transient residents of Burlington. Police did not say whether they were suspects in the assault.

"This attack was directed at Amos," Burke wrote. "There was more than one perpetrator, the investigation is ongoing, and to share much more could compromise our efforts."

Beede suffered head trauma, including facial fractures, multiple blunt force injuries to his face and head and a number of broke ribs, police said. He had been diagnosed with bleeding on the brain known as a subdural hematoma. An autopsy by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will reveal the cause of his death.

Police initially said Beede would make a recovery since the initial prognosis of his ability to recover was "favorable," police said.

The Burlington Police Department and the Chittenden County State’s Attorneys Office will be working together on the investigation into the case.

Investigators asked that anyone with information about the attack call city police at 658-2700 or Champlain Valley Crime Stoppers at 864-6666.

Correction: Amos Beede was found unconscious on May 22. The date was incorrect in an earlier version of this story.

This story was first posted on May 29, 2016.