Zoey Martinez was 20 when she was found dead in an alley in Seattle’s Phinney Ridge neighborhood on September 1, 2021. Authorities ruled her death a homicide after she was found with multiple gunshot wounds. Martinez was a Latina transgender woman and had been reported missing by friends and family after she failed to return from a meeting the previous day.

The day before her body was found, Martinez arranged to meet 23-year-old Jacaree Hardy in Maple Valley about an alleged theft of $1,100. A friend who planned to follow in a separate car lost sight of the two after a brief chase when Hardy drove off with Martinez. Surveillance near the meeting point reportedly captured muzzle flashes inside a vehicle two minutes after Martinez entered. Hardy was later identified as the prime suspect.

Investigators located Hardy in Renton on October 6, 2021; he was arrested hiding under a bed and charged with second-degree murder and unlawful possession of a firearm. Police reported finding his car with blood on the passenger seat and spent shell casings. Hardy pleaded not guilty and the case moved into court.

If anyone knew Zoey, was with her that day, or has information that could help, please come forward.