PAHOKEE, Fla. — Justice is on the way for the family of Bolman “Bee Love” Slater. After more than two years since the Pahokee transgender woman was murdered and found in a burned car, there is a new development in the case.
The Hendry County Sheriff’s Office arrested Marcus Lynell Thompson, 35, of Moore Haven, Florida and charged him with first degree homicide accessory after the fact and arson accessory after the fact.
“Today, this homicide investigation is still very much active,” said Hendry County Sheriff Steve Whidden.
Investigators are still looking for anyone else who may have been involved.
“We are steadfast in locking those up who are responsible or had anything to do with this crime,” added Whidden.
The Sheriff would not say if the suspect had any relationship with the victim or if he knew her prior to the murder. Many details including cause of death are not being revealed, he said, to prevent jeopardizing the investigation.
Slater’s family was present during the arrest announcement in LaBelle, Florida Wednesday afternoon, but did not want to speak publicly. Many wore t-shirts with Bee Love’s photo that said, “justice has been served.”
“They are very happy that we are moving forward and that an arrest has been made,” said the Sheriff.
Early in the investigation, the FBI was asked to get involved for manpower and access to FBI labs. To date, hundreds of interviews have been conducted and 56 search warrants have been executed in this case.
Whidden said it has not been determined if the suspect will face any hate crime charges.
Data from the Human Rights Campaign, an organization that supports and provides resources for the LGBTQ community, shows the number of transgender or non-gender conforming people killed violently across the U.S. has increased 85 percent since 2019. In an article published online, the organization says, “It’s not enough to grieve the loss of victims of violence against transgender and non-binary people. We must honor their memories with action."
Whidden reassures the community that justice is coming for Bee Love.
“This is a human being that was murdered, and these evildoers that did it, we’ll lock them up,” said Sheriff Whidden.
Anyone with information on the case is still being asked to come forward.
For more information on providing support to the transgender or non-binary community, visit the Human Rights Campaign website.
Locally, the Compass Community Centeroffers therapy, support, and other resources for members of the LGBTQ community.
