Friends and family gathered at Love Park in Center City on Tuesday to celebrate the life of Diamond Williams, a transgender woman who police say was brutally murdered and dismembered.
“I don’t want them to think it’s another tranny who was killed and no one cares about it,” said Williams’ sister, Rachel Rose. “She had a family. She had friends.”
Williams was killed last week after having relations with 43-year-old Charles Sargent, according to investigators. Sargent allegedly killed Williams after finding out she was a transgender woman. Police say he then dismembered her and dumped her body parts in a North Philadelphia field. He was arrested and charged with murder, abuse of a corpse and other related offenses.
“I don’t care if he knew or didn’t know,” Rose said. “No one deserves to die like that.”
Those who attended the vigil not only wanted to remember Williams, but also wanted to draw attention to violence against transgender men and women in the Philadelphia area.
“What we want people to know is that we’re a part of the greater community at large,” said Dionne Stallworth. “It’s time for everybody to embrace everybody.”
Williams’ loved ones say they will follow the case to the very end and are hoping that Sargent will spend the rest of his life in jail.
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