Justice Served: Texas Man Kendrell Lyles Admits to Transgender Woman's Murder and Receives 48-Year Sentence

In a Texas courtroom, a judge handed down a 48-year prison sentence to a man who was responsible for the tragic killing of a transgender woman back in 2019. This information comes from the Dallas County District Attorney's Office.

The convicted individual, Kendrell Lyles, aged 37, opted for a guilty plea rather than going to trial for the murder of 22-year-old Muhlaysia Booker, whose life was tragically cut short when she was found shot to death on May 18, 2019. Muhlaysia Booker had gained public attention after a video went viral, depicting a brutal assault on her following a minor car accident about a month before her tragic murder.

Law enforcement apprehended Kendrell Lyles several weeks after the incident, citing evidence that placed him in a Lincoln LS vehicle with Booker on the night of her murder. Cellphone records further linked Lyles to the location where the fatal shooting took place. 

According to an arrest warrant mentioned in the Associated Press, a witness disclosed that Lyles frequented the area to meet with transgender sex workers. Tragically, Booker was discovered only a few miles away from where she had entered Lyles' vehicle.

Kendrell Lyles' attorney, Richard Franklin, expressed that the guilty plea was the appropriate outcome, although the motive for the killing remains unclear.

Muhlaysia Booker's untimely death prompted the establishment of the Muhlaysia Booker Foundation. This foundation aims to empower transgender women by providing them with the means to lead safe, productive, healthy, and fulfilling lives through economic and emotional support, as detailed on its website. 

Muhlaysia is remembered for her kind heart, vivacious sense of humor, and unwavering loyalty. A close friend, Naomi Green, described her as having a larger-than-life personality and a remarkable sense of humor, despite the challenges she had faced.

No connection was established between the prior assault and Muhlaysia Booker's murder. In the assault case, Edward Dominic Thomas was found guilty of a lesser assault charge and received a 300-day jail sentence.

Kendrell Lyles faces additional charges in connection with the murders of Leticia Grant, aged 35, on May 22, 2019, and Kenneth Cichocki, aged 29, on May 23, 2019, in Collin County, located to the north of Dallas. These cases are still pending.

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