Transgender woman found dead in west Charlotte hotel room, investigation underway  

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article used the incorrect pronouns for the person who died. Law enforcement officials named the victim after a homicide investigation was underway but friends have said that is not the name the victim used. This article has been corrected.

A phone call for a welfare check in west Charlotte has turned into a homicide investigation, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said.

Friends said the person who died was named Jaida and said she was a transgender woman. Charlotte Uprising began fundraising this week for her family in South Carolina to hold a funeral.

Officers responded to the call around 1:45 p.m. Sunday at a hotel located in the 3100 block of Queen City Drive, near Interstate 85 and Billy Graham Parkway, CMPD said in a statement on Monday. Police found an unresponsive person in one of the rooms, CMPD said. Medic pronounced the person dead at the scene.

CMPD in a statement said the victim’s last name Peterson and the victim was 29 years old.

While there’s no official count by police nationwide of murders of transgender people, many advocacy and support groups who monitor anti-trans crimes say violence has been on the rise.

Google Maps shows a Quality Inn hotel in the 3100 block of Queen City Drive.

Detectives ruled Peterson’s death a homicide. An unofficial count shows there have been 26 homicides in Charlotte this year. Peterson’s death is the fourth homicide in Charlotte since Wednesday.

A woman was found dead near Mint Hill early Monday, according to Observer news partner WBTV. However, CMPD detectives determined the case was not a homicide, WBTV reported.

Police ask anyone with information about these cases to call 704-432-TIPS. Information also can be left anonymously with Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.

Staff writer Joe Marusak contributed to this story.

This story was originally published April 5, 2021 at 6:22 PM.