CHARLOTTE, NC – Nearly four years after the devastating murders of two Black transgender women in Charlotte, one of the men charged in their killings has formally entered a plea. On Thursday, Joel Isaiah Brewer appeared before a Mecklenburg County judge and pleaded not guilty to charges related to the deaths of 29-year-old Jaida Peterson and 28-year-old Remy Fennell.
The women were killed in separate hotel shootings less than two weeks apart in April 2021. Jaida Peterson was found shot at the Quality Inn on Queen City Drive on April 4. Remy Fennell’s body was discovered on April 15 at the Sleep Inn on North Tryon Street. Both women were reportedly engaged in sex work at the time of their deaths, a detail that has tragically contributed to the dehumanization and underreporting of violence against transgender individuals nationwide.
Brewer and a second man, Dontarius Long, were arrested on April 16, 2021, in Union County and charged with first-degree murder, robbery with a dangerous weapon, possession of a firearm by a felon, and conspiracy to commit robbery. Long has not yet entered a plea. No trial date has been scheduled for either man.
Authorities say Brewer reportedly arranged to meet both women under the pretense of purchasing sex, only to fatally shoot them. Law enforcement officials have not formally classified the crimes as hate-motivated, though advocates argue the pattern of violence against trans women, particularly Black trans women, is too widespread to ignore.
“This is a pandemic in our community,” said Jermaine Nakia Lee, program director for State of Emergency, an advocacy organization addressing violence against trans people. “These trans individuals are somebody’s children, somebody’s grandchild. We should care that they’re being wiped out.”
The murders of Peterson and Fennell sparked widespread fear and mourning in Charlotte’s LGBTQ+ community. At the time, Charlotte Pride issued urgent calls for vigilance and safety.
“Certainly not taking it lightly,” said Matt Comer, then-communications director for Charlotte Pride. “Our first priority was to get the word out and ensure everybody in the community, in particular trans women, were staying vigilant and hyper aware.”
In a disturbing development, Brewer is also facing additional charges in neighboring Union County for the murder of Joshua Tramaine Allen, whose body was found in February 2021 in a wooded area near Wingate. Allen had been missing since January. Brewer has been charged with first-degree murder, concealment of a death, and illegal firearm possession in that case, which is scheduled for a disposition hearing on May 15.
Brewer’s criminal history includes a 2011 conviction in a botched robbery that left one of his accomplices dead. His record contributed to current charges of being a violent habitual felon.
As the cases move through the legal system, the families and communities impacted by these losses continue to grieve and demand justice. The lives of Jaida Peterson, Remy Fennell, and Joshua Allen mattered. And their stories remain a painful reminder of the violence trans people, especially Black trans women, still face in America today.
