Kendrick Markis Skylar Heath

In the early hours of November 4, 2020, the life of Kendrick Markis Skylar Heath, a 20-year-old Black transgender woman, was tragically taken by gun violence in Miami, Florida. Known to her loved ones as Skylar, she was remembered as a "kind and gentle soul" with a "warm personality" and a "friendly spirit." Those who knew her said she loved people in general and had a deep love for her family and close friends, bringing them "so much joy." Born and raised in Miami, Skylar was brought up by her grandmother and great-grandmother.

The circumstances of her death began to unfold at approximately 4:13 a.m. in Miami's Liberty City neighborhood. Officers from the Miami-Dade Police Department found Skylar in the vicinity of NW 14th Court and NW 82nd Street. She had been fatally shot. Friends later confirmed the cause of death was a gunshot wound, and police subsequently opened a homicide investigation into her killing.

Public awareness of Skylar’s murder was significantly delayed due to initial reports that misgendered her and used her birth name. An obituary, while describing her warm personality, also failed to honor her gender identity. This led to a lack of early media coverage, and her story only gained wider attention after more than two weeks, largely through the efforts of friends and LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations who sought to correct the record and ensure she was remembered as the woman she was.

Her death marked at least the 40th violent killing of a transgender or gender-nonconforming person in the United States in 2020, which was the deadliest year on record for the community since tracking began. Tori Cooper of the Human Rights Campaign's Transgender Justice Initiative stated, "We are mourning Skylar's loss along with her friends and family. Skylar was just at the beginning of her life, and she did not deserve to have that life cut short... We must continue to affirm that Black Trans Lives Matter and take action to end the devastating violence against transgender and gender-nonconforming people."

Family and friends gathered to celebrate Skylar's life and lay her to rest on November 21, 2020. Advocacy groups, including the National Black Justice Coalition and the NYC Anti-Violence Project, issued statements mourning her death and calling for an end to the epidemic of violence against Black transgender women.

The Miami-Dade Police Department's homicide unit is handling the investigation. As of late 2020, no arrests had been announced, and no suspects had been publicly identified. The case remains an open and active investigation. Authorities have urged anyone with information regarding the murder of Skylar Heath to come forward. Tips can be directed to Miami-Dade Police Department Homicide Detective A. Gonzalez at (305) 471-2400 or submitted anonymously to Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at (305) 471-TIPS (8477).