Investigating Modern-Day Lynchings of Transgender Women in the South

A new report by the social justice organization JULIAN raises significant concerns regarding the classification of deaths among transgender women in the Southern United States. The report, titled “A Crimson Record: Seven State Modern-Day Lynching Report 2000–2025,” highlights a troubling pattern of misclassification, suggesting that many deaths ruled as suicides may actually be bias-motivated killings, which advocates describe as modern-day lynchings.

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The report catalogs over 150 deaths across Mississippi, Texas, Georgia, Louisiana, Florida, Tennessee, and Alabama, with more than 50 cases involving transgender women. This statistic is particularly alarming when compared to federal hate crime data, which indicates that from January 2000 to February 2026, there were 2,726 anti-transgender hate crime incidents nationwide. Jill Collen Jefferson, founder of JULIAN, argues that the overrepresentation of transgender women in these cases reflects the intersection of racism and transphobia in regions historically marked by racial violence.

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Jefferson describes systemic failures in the investigation of these deaths, including unsecured crime scenes and delayed witness interviews. In one notable case, authorities ruled Willie Andrew Jones Jr.'s death a suicide within 40 minutes, neglecting to interview witnesses for four days. Jefferson draws parallels to historical lynchings, suggesting that the classification of such deaths as suicides serves to shield perpetrators and diminish public outrage.

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Jefferson emphasizes that the classification of these deaths complicates the pursuit of justice. Families must first overturn the official designation of suicide before they can argue for a bias-motivated killing, a process made difficult by investigative shortcomings. She argues that the documented vulnerability of transgender individuals should not replace thorough investigations into their deaths.

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The report outlines a spectrum of institutional failures, from incompetence at crime scenes to indifference at prosecutorial levels. Jefferson asserts that even when presented with evidence of lynching, district attorneys often refuse to pursue charges. To address these issues, she advocates for amendments to the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act to establish a federal cause of action for lynching, independent federal prosecutors for these cases, and stricter qualification standards for coroners.

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• “Back in the day, a lynching was called a suicide with a wink and a smile,” — Jill Collen Jefferson, Founder of JULIAN

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• “You still have the situation where there is this deliberate effort to find another reason, other than the obvious reason that’s right in front of you, to name this something else” — Jill Collen Jefferson

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• “and I have absolutely no medical training.” — Jill Collen Jefferson

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The findings of JULIAN's report underscore the urgent need for a reevaluation of how deaths involving transgender women are classified and investigated in the South. By addressing systemic biases and failures in law enforcement, advocates hope to ensure that these cases receive the scrutiny they deserve, ultimately aiming to prevent further violence against transgender individuals.

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