A Chicago jury acquitted Tremon Hill, 25, on Friday of first-degree murder in connection with the 2018 shooting death of transgender woman Dejanay Stanton. The verdict, delivered more than eight years after the fatal incident, clears Hill of the charge that he lured Stanton into an alley and killed her to conceal their relationship.

The shooting occurred around 11 a.m. on August 30, 2018, in an alley near the 4000 block of South King Drive in the Bronzeville neighborhood. Emergency responders found Stanton lying outside a sedan with fresh gunshot wounds. Prosecutors argued that Hill, then 17, arranged a meeting with Stanton months earlier and later became fearful that their relationship would be exposed, prompting him to ask Stanton to delete their messages and photos.

Prosecutors based their case largely on cellphone data, including text messages exchanged between Hill and Stanton and location pings placing their phones near the crime scene. They also presented texts referencing Hill’s personal life, such as his impending fatherhood, to establish ownership of the device. During closing arguments, an assistant state’s attorney described the evidence as too coincidental to dismiss.

Hill’s defense team challenged the prosecution’s theory, pointing out the lack of physical evidence linking Hill to the murder. They highlighted that no fingerprints or DNA matching Hill were found on Stanton’s vehicle or body. Defense attorneys questioned the plausibility of committing such a crime in broad daylight amid nearby residential buildings, arguing that the phone data was the prosecution’s sole evidence.

The jury deliberated for more than four hours and posed several questions before delivering their verdict. Hill, who faces a separate pending case, will be released under electronic monitoring.

Stanton’s death drew attention to violence against transgender individuals, particularly Black trans women, who disproportionately experience fatal attacks. Advocates note that since 2013, nearly 400 transgender and gender nonconforming people have been fatally attacked in the United States, with Black trans women comprising nearly 60% of victims. Stanton’s family and community members have called for increased protections amid a political climate they say has grown increasingly hostile toward transgender rights.

At the time of her death, Stanton was engaged in her community and had aspirations to become a paralegal. Her mother described her as “a beautiful soul” who often helped other transgender women who had been rejected by their families.

The family did not immediately comment on the acquittal following the verdict. Meanwhile, local advocates continue to emphasize the ongoing risks faced by transgender individuals, underscoring the need for broader societal attention to issues of violence and discrimination.