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A man has been charged with allegedly murdering a transgender woman he had met on Plenty of Fish.
Charles Nelson of Springfield, Missouri, had been talking to 26-year-old Dominique Lucious on the site. They made plans to meet up at an apartment where Lucious would be staying. Another occupant of the apartment, identified as “S.D.,” says that Lucious woke him up early Thursday morning to let him know that she was preparing for her date with Nelson. S.D. told police that he went back to sleep but was awakened by the sounds of gunshots. The man says he saw Lucious lying on the couch with a man standing over before fleeing the home and entering his car. S.D. was able to take photos of the man as he drove away. A neighbor also saw the man leaving the apartment.
Nelson was arrested later that evening. Police used explicit text messages between the two and witnesses’ statements to link the 28-year-old to the murder. Authorities claim that Nelson had blood on his shoes when they caught up with him, and a gun recovered at his home matched a shell casing found at the crime scene.
Lucious’s family is stunned by the murder, saying that everyone who knew the young woman adored her.
“We grew up together,” said Ciara Williams, a cousin of Lucious. “We have lived together numerous times.” She goes on to add, “We were both homeless at a point in our lives when we were younger. She made sure I had somewhere warm to stay, even if she didn’t. She had a very good heart.”
Nelson has been charged with second-degree murder and is being held in the Greene County jail.
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A Springfield man has been charged with murder in the death of a transgender woman he met online.
Charles Nelson, 28, was charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action in connection with the Thursday morning killing of 26-year-old Dominique Lucious.
According to court documents, Springfield police were dispatched to a home in the 900 block of North Main Avenue at about 7 a.m. Thursday where they found Lucious who had been shot to death.
Court documents say police used information from witnesses, and text message communication on Lucious' phone to identify Nelson as a suspect and arrest him on Thursday night.
According to court documents, it appears Nelson and Lucious met on an online dating website and planned to meet up on Thursday morning at Lucious's apartment.
It's during that meet-up that authorities believe Nelson fatally shot Lucious.
According to court documents, Nelson matched the description of the man many witnesses saw at the scene of the shooting, he also drives the same type of car that several witnesses reported seeing at the scene, and authorities found blood on his shoes and a gun in his home that matched back to a shell casing found at the crime scene.
Court documents say Nelson initially agreed to speak with police and then asked to end the questioning.
A motive for the shooting is unclear.
Nelson is being held in the Greene County Jail without bond and does not have an attorney listed for this case.
The GLO Center in Springfield posted a statement of support for Lucious on social media, saying: "Trans women, particularly trans women of color, are disproportionately victims of violent crime. This murder and the other senseless slaying of trans folks must be contextualized within the anti-trans rhetoric and actions taken by too many. It is 2021 and we must understand that trans rights are human rights."
Hours later, Missouri House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, D-Springfield, released her own statement supporting Lucious and rebuking "legislation targeting the trans and non-binary communities ... pushed by groups who dismiss the damages and dangers their ideology helps cultivate."
"Missouri should be a place where anybody can be their true self, without fear of violence or bigotry," Quade wrote. "We have far to go to ensure Missouri is a safe and welcoming place for every person, no matter how they identify."
Springfield man charged with murder in death of transgender woman
Springfield police say the shooting occurred Thursday morning at a home on Main Avenue. The man is being held in the Greene County Jail.
www.news-leader.com
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