The criminal case against Keshawn Ridges, the man accused of killing Tahiry Broom, a Black transgender woman from Detroit, has moved forward following a court ruling this week in Oakland County.
According to The Oakland Press, Judge Kelley Kostin found sufficient evidence to advance the case to circuit court, where Ridges will stand trial on a charge of second-degree murder. Prosecutors allege that Ridges, 21, met Broom, 29, earlier this year and fatally shot her during an argument in February.
Police discovered Broom’s body outside a Southfield apartment complex on the morning of Feb. 9. Investigators say digital evidence, including text messages and app records, linked Ridges to the meeting that preceded her death. He was arrested days later and charged by the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office.
At a hearing earlier this week, prosecutors presented that evidence to establish probable cause. Ridges’s defense acknowledged that the two met but disputed claims of intent, arguing the shooting was not premeditated. After reviewing the testimony and exhibits, the judge ordered the case to proceed to trial.
Ridges remains in custody at the Oakland County Jail, where he is being held without bond. He is scheduled for arraignment on Oct. 30 before Judge Jeffery Matis in Oakland County Circuit Court.
Broom’s death in February was one of several killings of transgender women reported nationwide this year and drew wide attention from advocacy groups across Michigan. Friends and community members described her as “brilliant, vibrant, and confident,” remembering her for her compassion and energy. Vigils were held in Detroit and Southfield to honor her memory and call for justice.
Advocates have noted that Broom’s case reflects broader issues facing transgender women of color, who experience disproportionately high rates of violence, economic instability, and barriers to safety. According to the Human Rights Campaign, at least 25 transgender or gender-diverse individuals have been killed in the United States so far in 2025, most of them Black or Latina trans women.
Local organizations, including Equality Michigan and the Ruth Ellis Center, have urged law enforcement to ensure consistent identification and respect for transgender victims in all stages of investigation and prosecution. Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald has previously stated that her office is committed to pursuing cases involving bias-motivated crimes “with transparency and accountability.”
For Broom’s friends and loved ones, the advancement of the case represents a meaningful step toward justice, though they stress that true safety for transgender people requires more than convictions. It means access to housing, healthcare, employment, and public safety systems that affirm and protect every individual.
A GoFundMe fundraiser, titled “Stand With Tahiry – Beloved LGBTQ+ Member,” was launched to help the family cover memorial services and related expenses. As of publication, it has raised $18,818 of its $20,000 goal.
TransVitae will continue to follow this case as it proceeds through Michigan’s courts.
