Transgender Woman Found In Chelsea Was Beaten To Death, Medical Examiner Says

CHELSEA, MANHATTAN — The transgender woman who was found in Chelsea with head injuries was beaten to death, according to the medical examiner's office.

Brenda Bostick was found on April 25 lying outside near the intersection of Seventh Avenue and 29th Street. She died of her injuries Thursday at Bellevue Hospital. Bostick, 59, was believed to be homeless.

The medical examiner said the cause of death was "complications of blunt impact injury of head" and said the death was a homicide.

An NYPD investigation into her death is ongoing, and the police department has not named a suspect. An NYPD spokesman confirmed to Patch that the Bostick's death is not currently being investigated as a hate crime or bias incident. Police believe that Bostick was injured during a dispute with another person who lived in the same building as her on 25th Street. No arrests have been made.

The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs, which works to combat violence against LGBT communities, said in a statement that the woman was the 10th transgender woman killed this year.

"Transgender woman are targeted all too often for severe and deadly violence," said Beverly Tillery, the project's executive director.

"We are facing a crisis of violence. Ten transgender woman have already been killed so far in 2017 , nine have been black transgender woman and one woman was Native.

"As a society we can stop this epidemic by hiring trans women of color, making sure they have safe places to live and standing up when we see or hear them being demeaned and attacked and simply by valuing their lives. The moment to act is now."

Chelsea has seen few slayings in recent years. Last year, there were no murders in the 10th precinct, which includes Chelsea and Hell's Kitchen, and there was one in the neighborhood in 2015, according to NYPD data.

This story has been updated throughout.

Lead image via Adam Nichols/Patch.