Cisgender woman killed by man who thought she was trans

A cisgender woman was stabbed to death because her alleged killer believed she was transgender. 

67-year old Tommy W. Earl was charged with the murder of 59-year-old Michelle Dionne Peacock in Richmond, Indiana on 3 July, after local police were called to the Merle Henderson Apartments on 30 June. 

According to a court affidavit, Earl approached Peacock – who was in a gazebo south of the apartment building – and slit her throat with a straight razor.

Peacock was pronounced dead at the scene after she “bled severely from the laceration” Earl allegedly inflicted on her. 

Police reportedly arrived on the scene at around 1.20pm to find bystanders attempting to subdue Earl, who had blood on his person and threatened to kill an officer with the same weapon used on Peacock.

As per reporting by Fox59, Earl told investigators Peacock was a “a male acting like a woman” – implying he believed, incorrectly, that she was trans. 

Earl went on to say that he would “do it again” and claimed the pair did not get on, saying he had a “dispute” with Peacock for months prior to the incident. 

Following her mother’s death, Peacock’s daughter Rochelle created a GoFundMe to raise money towards the costs of Peacock’s funeral. 

Rochelle claimed her mother had lived in Richmond for around three years and was battling cancer at the time of her death. 

She went on to write that Peacock was “bullied” by Earl and made complaints “numerous” times about him but “nothing was done and here we are”.

Alongside the murder charge, Earl also faces charges for intimidation and resisting law enforcement. 

In Indiana, a murder conviction carries a maximum sentence of 65 years. 

The case continues.