Is the Kyra Kruz Murder a Hate Crime?

Twenty-seven-year-old Kyra Kruz was found murdered in a wooded area near the spot she was last seen by friends. The woman also happened to be a transgender person of color who was very well known in the LGBTQ community in Philadelphia. What kind of person could commit this murder, discarding the victim without even a burial? Was this senseless death a hate crime?

Kyra Kruz was shot to death and left like common litter near a heavily trafficked area. The person(s) responsible for this certainly wanted the woman to be found and they wanted to convey a point, but what kind of point? Was this a desire to kill or a desire to kill because the victim was "different?"

Hate crimes are not uncommon in the United States from one retion to the next. The fact that this was a dark-skinned trans woman makes it almost glaringly obvious that this should be investigated as a potential hate crime at least.

Will there be justice for Kyra?

Crime analyst and profiler Chelsea Hoffman can be found on The Huffington Post, Chelsea Hoffman: Case to Case and many other outlets. Follow @TheRealChelseaH on Twitter or click here to contact Chelsea directly.

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