HATTIESBURG, Miss.- The accused killer of a transgendered woman at a St. Martin hotel has plead not guilty.
Navy Sailor Dwanya Hickerson, 20, of New Orleans is accused of stabbing Hattiesburg nurse Dee Whigham,25, over 119 times and slashing her throat three times.
Investigators say the majority of stab wounds were to the face.
Whigham was found in a Best Western hotel room shower the night of July 23, 2016.
Surveillance video is said to show Hickerson, walked into the hotel room with Whigham at around 8:30 p.m. Hicekrson is then seen leaving the room 23 minutes later with his shirt hanging across his neck.
At the time, Hickerson was in a training class at Keesler Air Force base.
Whigham’s family told police she identified as a woman but was born a male. She had not yet undergone gender reassignment surgery.
Having been charged with capital murder, Hickerson could receive the death penalty.
