A transgender woman Muhlaysia Booker, whose assault by a mob garnered national attention just a month before her demise, has posthumously found a semblance of justice.
Kendrell Lavar Lyles, a Texas man, has pleaded guilty to the 2019 shooting that claimed the life of 23-year-old Booker in Dallas, resulting in a 48-year prison sentence as part of a plea deal with prosecutors, according to the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office.
The courtroom revelation, according to reports monitored by ShineMyCrown unfolded just before the commencement of Lyles’s murder trial on Monday, where he willingly entered into the plea agreement with prosecutors, openly admitting his guilt.
While the conviction brings a measure of closure for Booker’s family, especially her mothers, Stephanie Houston, they acknowledged that no amount of time served could bring Muhlaysia back. The family expressed relief that justice was served, preventing Lyles from causing more harm to other families.
Booker’s tragic story began to unravel on May 18, 2019, when police responded to a shooting report on Valley Glen Drive in northeastern Dallas. Officers discovered Booker lying lifeless in the street, the victim of homicidal violence. Identified the next day, Booker had no identification with her at the time of her alleged shooting death.
The events leading to Booker’s untimely demise gained widespread attention a month earlier when she was violently attacked by a group of men in the parking lot of an apartment complex.
Accused of a minor car accident, Booker faced severe physical assault, captured on video and later going viral. Edward Thomas, one of the assailants, was arrested and convicted in October 2019 for misdemeanor assault in connection to the attack.
Kendrell Lavar Lyles, the man now convicted of Booker’s murder, was apprehended on June 5, 2019, not only in connection with her fatal shooting but also in connection to the deaths of two other women – Leticia Grant and Kenneth Cichocki.
Grant and Cichocki had both been in contact with Lyles before their respective slayings. Lyles, however, did not enter pleas regarding these cases during Monday’s proceedings. The incidents surrounding Muhlaysia Booker’s death serve as a stark reminder of the violence faced by transgender individuals and highlight the ongoing struggle for justice and equality.
