An arrest was made in the murder of a Philadelphia transgender activist, the District Attorney’s Office announced on Monday.
Charles Mitchell, 40, was arrested over the weekend by U.S. Marshals in Henderson, Nevada.
Mitchell was wanted for the murder of 33-year-old Mar’Quis “MJ” Jackson.
On December 14, 2022, around 4:15 p.m., police responded to the 1800 block of Brunner Street in Philadelphia where they found Jackson’s body facedown in the backyard of a home.
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Jackson had suffered blunt force trauma to his head along with scrapes, cuts and bruises to his hands and legs. His death was ruled a homicide.
Investigators later identified Mitchell as a suspect in Jackson’s death. Mitchell is charged with murder, abuse of corpse and tampering with evidence.
Jackson was an activist and advocate in Philadelphia’s transgender community. During a press conference in March, the District Attorney’s Office asked the public for help in finding Jackson’s killer and also raised awareness on violence towards other members of the city’s LGBTQ+ community.
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“You want to be a bigot, you want to be a hater - don’t try it in Philly because we are not having it,” District Attorney Larry Krasner said during the press conference. “We will call you out on this and we will hold you accountable on this and we will make sure this justice system works for everybody.”
