India Clarke
Birth date:
May 3, 1990
Death date:
July 21, 2015
Age at Death:
25
About
India was a high school graduate from Tampa, Florida. She was born into the family of Thelma Clarke, and Samuel Elijah Clarke. India Clarke was a black, transgender woman.
India Clarke was murdered at a park in Tampa on July 21, 2015. Detectives initially reported that the cause of death was blunt force trauma, but later revealed that she’d been shot in the head and arm. DNA evidence linked 18-year-old Keith Lamayne Gaillard to Clarke’s death. India Clark was transgender and her death follows a terrible trend of violence against black, transgender women. A June 2020 report from Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund and Equality Florida found that 2018 saw a 41% increase in reported crimes directed against transgender individuals. While just 16% of the trans population in the U.S. is estimated to be Black, 79% of known trans homicide victims were Black, the report showed.
Was justice served?
In 2015, Gaillard was been charged with first-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a career crimina with bail set at $275,000. As of 2021, we do not have an update on the outcome of this murder charge.