Body of Trans Rights Activist Found in Lake Michigan; No Sign of Foul Play, Police Say
The body of missing LGBTQ+ civil rights advocate Elise Malary, 31, was discovered in Lake Michigan on March 17, CNN reported. Police say there is no sign her death was the result of foul play.
Malary's body was "positively identified" on March 19, the report added. Her family had last had contact with her on March 9; on March 11, they filed a missing person's report with police.
"While authorities discovered Malary's apartment had been left unlocked, police said they found nothing at her home or car to indicate foul play," the report went on to say. "No cause of death has been released yet."
CNN noted that Malary was "a recognized LGBTQ+ rights activist around the Chicago area. She was a Community Outreach Specialist at the Chicago Therapy Collective, a group dedicated to supporting mental health in the transgender community," and had also served as "a communications associate for Equality Illinois," as well as "interning for the AIDS Foundation of Chicago."
Malary had recently left her job with Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, the according to the Chicago Tribune.
Raoul issued a statement saying, "Elise was a valued member of our Civil Rights Bureau who, as a tireless advocate for the LGBTQ community, was passionate about her work."
"Malary 'faced some personal loss in recent months' and 'also occasionally expressed concerns about her safety,' according to a Chicago Therapy Collective statement released Wednesday," the Tribune added.
A crowd gathered on March 20 for a vigil "outside the Women and Children First bookstore," the Tribune relayed, describing Malary as having been "known for her social advocacy for the LGBTQ population, people of color and transgender people of color."
"Elise was a vivid representation of Black trans joy, dedication and authenticity," one attendee of the vigil, Myles Brady, told the crowd in an address.
The Tribune recalled that Malary had been "[b]orn and raised in Chicago".
"Activists and several elected officials, including Chicago Ald. Andre Vasquez, 40th, and Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss had made appeals for Malary's return," the Tribune noted.
"The first thing that comes to mind is Black Lives Matter isn't just a window sign," Vasquez said. "Although our sister Elise isn't with us, she's not the first."