JACKSONVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) A homicide investigation is underway after a transgender woman was found dead in a wooded area in late-February, ABC-affiliate WCTI reports.
Jacksonville police said the body of 34-year-old Jenna Franks was found by city street crews in a wooded area near a bike trail as they were clearing a ditch on Feb. 24. At this time, there is no additional information that can be released due to the open investigation, said Capt. Mike Capps, supervisor of the Jacksonville Police Department Investigative Services Division.
Days after the body was found, the Jacksonville Police Department deemed Franks death a homicide. Officers did not disclose what elevated the death investigation to a homicide investigation.
Jenna Franks Purposely Deadnamed by Police After Being Killed
She is the ninth trans person believe to be violently killed in 2021. March 05 2021 8:02 AM EST
Investigators in Jacksonville, North Carolina, announced yesterday they now believe a trans woman whose lifeless body was found last month was murdered, but police and local media continue to use the victim’s deadname in public records. The body of Jenna Franks, 34, was found by city workers February 24th in a wooded area adjacent to a ditch they were clearing. GLAAD and friends of Franks called out the Jacksonville Police Department and local media for repeatedly misgendering her in death. Franks is the 9th known transgender victim of violence so far this year in the United States.