A transgender woman was shot to dear by a Detroit pastor, her gender status played a role in the slaughter.
46-years-old Albert Weathers of Sterling Heights was charged Monday in the murder Kelly Stough, who was found dead on a Detroit street Friday.
Kelly Stough was a 36-year-old transgender woman who was beloved in the LGBTQ community her dream was to be a designer and buyer in the world of fashion.
Dana Nessel, Michigan's next attorney general, said the case reflects the "excessive brutality" faced by a member of Detroit's transgender community.
Nessel is also president of Fair Michigan, a group committed to equal protection for gay, lesbian and transgender residents.
"You keep fighting, keep pushing and live your life. ... Don't let the world dictate how you should live," Jessica Williams Stough, the victim's mother, "He was always a happy kid but bullied because of his tendencies."
A GoFundMe page has been created, To honor her memory, Stough friends are planning a fundraiser Wednesday night at the Woodward Bar & Grill in Detroit to cover burial expenses.
Weathers appeared in court Monday for arraignment where his bond was set at $1 million.
A probable-cause conference was scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Dec. 20. A preliminary examination is set for 1:30 p.m. Dec. 27 in front of Judge Michael Wagner.
