Transgender Woman Stabbed To Death

Rest in peace Krissy, my dear sister. Person found stabbed to death in Minneapolis apartment Last update: January 13, 2011 - 9:04 AM Minneapolis police are investigating the city's first homicide of the year after a 36-year-old transgender person was found stabbed to death Tuesday in her apartment on the western edge of downtown. Police say the victim, who had not been officially identified pending notification of relatives, was found after a caretaker at the building at 1302 Linden Av. discovered the body and called 911. The caretaker entered the apartment after a worried relative called to check on the resident's well-being. Police said the victim had possible stab wounds. Although police said the victim was a man, neighbors say she lived as a woman and went by "Chrissy." No one was in custody in connection with the case. Minneapolis police asked that anyone with information call the TIPS Line at 612-692-8477. ABBY SIMONS AND MARY LYNN SMITH Original article Neighbor: Victim worried about safety Authorities said the transgender woman died of "complex homicidal violence." No arrests have been made. By ABBY SIMONS and PAUL, WALSH Last update: January 13, 2011 - 11:08 PM A transgender woman who was found slain in Minneapolis on Tuesday was concerned about her safety in the weeks leading up to the homicide, a friend and a neighbor said. The Hennepin County medical examiner's office identified the victim on Thursday as Christopher P. Bates, 45, whom friends and neighbors knew as Krissy. No arrests have been made. Bates' body was discovered by a caretaker at the building at 1302 Linden Av., police said. The caretaker entered the apartment after a worried friend called to check on Bates' well-being. Police said Bates had stab wounds, while the medical examiner said the cause of death was "complex homicidal violence," suggesting more than one cause. It was the city's first homicide of the year. A phone number listed for Bates matches advertisements on Backpage.com for transsexual escorts in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Bates, listed as "Krissy" in the ads, advertised massage therapy and massage services by a "classy and sassy southern belle" who is "very passionate, intimate and sweet." Neighbor and friend Bryant DeVine said Bates was concerned about safety and offered to pay him for protection. "She was very adamant about it," DeVine said. "Every time I came into Krissy's presence, she would bring it up." DeVine said Bates was "doing business on a number of different levels" and was under pressure but was a good person who cared about friends. "The impact of what happened to Krissy hasn't hit me yet," he said. Janice Polson of Closplint, Ky., said she had been friends with Bates, whom she knew only as Krissy, for about two years. She met Bates over the telephone through her brother, and the two became friends, though they never met in person. Polson said Bates moved to Minneapolis from Kentucky recently after Bates' father died, though she wasn't certain why Bates picked the Twin Cities area. Polson said she wasn't aware of the services Bates offered online and also was surprised to learn that Bates was a transgender woman. "She was a good friend and a good listener," said Polson, a 45-year-old mother. "She was a good person, and I liked her a lot." Polson hadn't heard from her friend for days and called to arrange for the caretaker to check on Bates. The body was found about 3 p.m. Tuesday. A single white artificial rose was taped to a board over the door of Bates' apartment on Wednesday. Minneapolis police have been called to the apartment building 95 times since Jan. 1, 2010. Sgt. William Palmer described the number of calls as "fairly high." OutFront Minnesota, which advocates for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Minnesotans, planned to organize a vigil from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Jan. 21. The location had not yet been determined. The vigil is expected to include a short program and silent march. Police asked that anyone with information call the TIPS Line at 612-692-8477. asimons@startribune.com • 612-673-4921 pwalsh@startribune.com • 612-673-4482 Original article