Alex Franco, 21, a Trans Man Who “Lit Up Any Room,” Found Dead in Utah Desert | Them

This blog originally appeared at THEM.

Authorities have taken three teenagers into custody in connection with the death of Franco.

This is a developing story. It contains descriptions of violence against a trans person.

According to the local CBS affiliate 2KUTV, the lifeless body of Alex Franco, a 21-year-old transgender man, was discovered on Tuesday morning in a secluded area of Utah, succumbing to a gunshot wound.

Reports suggest that Franco was abducted on Sunday afternoon. His girlfriend, Alyssa Henry, last saw him outside her Taylorsville residence, situated in the Salt Lake City metropolitan vicinity. Henry recounted to 2KUTV that Franco was conversing inside a white Jeep with acquaintances of theirs, purportedly arranged to provide transportation to the park for the couple. However, a gunshot emanated from within the vehicle, which swiftly departed. Authorities located Franco’s remains on Tuesday, bearing a lone gunshot injury, in a remote desert sector of Utah County, as detailed by the Taylorsville Police Department.

Subsequently, two teenage boys, aged 17 and 15, were apprehended in connection to the incident and presented in court on Wednesday. Another 17-year-old was detained early Thursday morning, as reported by local news outlet Fox 13. According to court statements cited by the station, the trio purportedly engaged in a dispute with Franco while attempting to sell him a firearm; Taylorsville Police disclosed that the teenagers had intended to rob Franco of the money allocated for the purchase of the weapon.

Law enforcement officials informed the news outlet that the three youths have been incarcerated at the Salt Lake Valley Detention Center, facing multiple felony charges. Their next court appearance is scheduled for March 27.

In a vigil held on Tuesday night, Franco’s loved ones congregated to honor his memory. Chloe Goold, a close friend, characterized him as someone who “illuminated every room he entered,” according to 2KUTV. Vinnie Franco, Alex’s grandfather, took to Facebook on Tuesday to pay tribute to his grandson, recalling how Alex had cared for him during times of incapacity and expressing joy for Alex’s journey of self-realization as a transgender individual.

To cover the funeral expenses of Franco, his family initiated a crowdfunding campaign, with any surplus funds allocated toward aiding the mental health recovery of grieving siblings.