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2 men charged with murder in deaths of 2 transgender women in North Carolina

Generic: Police Lights
Posted at 2:27 PM, Apr 18, 2021
and last updated 2021-04-18 23:42:15-04

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Two men were arrested and charged with murder in connection with the deaths of two transgender women in North Carolina.

According to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, Dontarius Long and Joel Brewer also face robbery charges connected to the deaths of Jaida Peterson and Remy Fennell, a Hampton woman.

Peterson was found dead in a hotel room on Easter Sunday, and Fennell was found dead in a hotel room a little over 12 miles away from Peterson on Thursday. Both women were shot to death, and investigators say both were sex workers.

Brewer was arrested Friday and charged with two counts of murder, two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, one count of robbery with a dangerous weapon and one count of conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon.

Long was also arrested and charged with murder, robbery with a dangerous weapon and conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon.

The Human Rights Campaign recorded 44 deaths of transgender and gender non-conforming people last year across the country, the most since the group started tracking the violence in 2013. There have been 14 deaths so far this year.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call 704-432-TIPS and speak directly to a Homicide Unit detective. The public can also leave information anonymously by contacting Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.