L.A. Offers $50,000 for Information on Transgender Woman's Murder
On Oct. 2, three unidentified men attacked and killed 47-year-old Aniya Parker in East Hollywood, shooting her once in the head at point-blank range. Now authorities are offering a $50,000 reward for information on the transgender woman's murder, the L.A. Times reports.
L.A. officials announced the award yesterday at a news conference designed to generate leads on the unsolved killing, promising the money for information leading to an arrest.
Police have so far dismissed any prejudicial motive for the crime and believe it to be a botched robbery, but LBGT advocates aren't convinced. "This was not a robbery, in fact, they left the purse behind," Mary Zeiser of Hollywood told ABC7. "This is a cold-blooded hate crime and this type of violence needs to end."
Surveillance footage released by police shows Parker and three men struggling over a purse before she breaks away and is shot by one of her assailants. Later found at the scene of the crime, the purse contained just $24.
"We just want to know why," Parker's sister Adrian told reporters at Friday's announcement. "We didn't get a chance to say goodbye."
