Killing of Nina Pop

Killing of Nina Pop

Part of violence against LGBT people in the United States
Map of Sikeston
Date	May 3, 2020
Location	South New Madrid Street, Sikeston, Missouri
Type	Murder by stabbing, hate crime
Deaths	Nina Pop
Convicted	Joseph Cannon
Charges	Second-degree murder and armed criminal action
Convictions	Voluntary manslaughter

In May 2020, Nina Pop, a young transgender woman of color, was stabbed to death in her Missouri apartment. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

The Human Rights Campaign stated that Pop's death was at least the 10th violent death of an American transgender person or gender non-conforming person in 2020. ^[4]

Nina Pop

Pop was a black transgender woman. ^[5] She lived 145 miles south of St. Louis in Sikeston, Missouri, a small town of 16,000 people. ^[6]

Killing

On May 3, 2020, a 28-year-old black transgender woman named Nina Pop was found dead with multiple stab wounds after being stabbed with a knife inside her own apartment on South New Madrid Street in Sikeston, Missouri. ^{[5] [7] [3] [8] [9]}

Aftermath

On May 15, 2020 in Dexter, Missouri, Joseph B. Cannon from Poplar Bluff, Missouri, was accused of Pop's murder and arrested for second-degree murder and armed criminal action. ^[10] He pleaded not guilty, requested a public defender, and awaits trial. ^{[11] [12]} Eleven crime labs, anti-violence organizations, and police departments contributed to the investigation. ^[13] Pop's death was being investigated as a potential hate crime. ^{[9] [14]}

In October 2025, Cannon was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and sentenced to 14 years in prison. ^[15]

Sikeston Department of Public Safety and a local TV network initially misgendered Pop during their investigation and reporting, respectively. ^{[16] [17]}

Community response

The Okra Project, a grassroots organization initially focused on addressing food insecurity in the black transgender community, dedicated $15,000 to form the Nina Pop Mental Health Recovery Fund and the Tony McDade Mental Health Recovery Fund in to raise money for free one-time mental health therapy sessions for black transgender individuals. ^{[18] [19] [20]}

On June 2, 2020, thousands of people came together for a vigil and protest at the Stonewall Inn in New York City to honor the lives of Nina Pop and Tony McDade and protest police violence and transphobic violence against the black transgender community. ^{[21] [22] [23] [24]}

References

1. Srikanth, Anagha (May 3, 2021). "Seven transgender women of color were killed in April". The Hill. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
2. Moxley, Elle (May 3, 2021). "A Year After Nina Pop's Death, Why Hasn't Anything Changed?". TIME. Retrieved June 12, 2024.
3. Edwards, Breana (November 4, 2020). "Missouri Police Investigating Death Of Black Trans Woman". Essence. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
4. "HRC Mourns Nina Pop, Black Trans Woman Killed in Missouri". Human Rights Campaign. May 5, 2020. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
5. Ring, Trudy (May 6, 2020). "Trans Woman Nina Pop Stabbed to Death in Missouri". Advocate. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
6. Maurice, Emma Powys (May 10, 2020). "Much-loved trans woman found stabbed to death in apartment as LGBT+ group warns the epidemic 'can no longer be ignored'". PinkNews. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
7. "Transgender woman's death in SE Missouri under investigation". AP News. May 5, 2020. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
8. Gangemella, Rebecca (May 15, 2020). "Sikeston homicide suspect arrested". WPSD Local 6. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
9. Reese, Alexis (May 10, 2020). "Missouri Police Investigating Death Of Black Transgender Woman Killed In Her Apartment". BET.com. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
10. Maurice, Emma Powys (May 21, 2020). "Nina Pop was the fifth Black trans woman to be violently killed in the US in a month. A man has now been charged for her murder". PinkNews. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
11. Riley, John (May 21, 2020). "Man arrested in fatal stabbing of Nina Pop pleads not guilty". Metro Weekly. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
12. Goldfine, Jael (June 2, 2020). "How to Support Black Trans People Right Now". PAPER. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
13. Jenkins, David (May 15, 2020). "Poplar Bluff man charged in death of Nina Pop". Standard-Democrat. Archived from the original on June 9, 2020. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
14. "Suspect Arrested in Killing of Missouri Trans Woman Nina Pop". The Root. May 18, 2020. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
15. "Prosecutors to appeal judge's decision that would make Poplar Bluff man eligible for more years in prison for deadly stabbing". KFVS12. November 12, 2025. Retrieved November 18, 2025.
16. Tracy, Matt (May 20, 2020). "Man Charged With Killing Trans Woman in Missouri". Gay City News. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
17. "As Media Focuses on Black Lives, Activists Call Attention to Nina Pop, the 5th Trans Woman of Color to Be Killed in the Last Month". The Root. May 11, 2020. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
18. "10 Ways You Can Support The Black Lives Matter Movement In NYC Right Now". Secretnyc. June 1, 2020. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
19. Kim, Michelle (June 2020). "The Okra Project Launches Mental Health Funds in Honor of Tony McDade and Nina Pop". them. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
20. "A $15,000 Mental Health Recovery Fund Launches for Black Trans People". www.colorlines.com. June 3, 2020. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
21. "Stonewall Rally To Focus On Deaths In Black Trans Community". West Village, NY Patch. June 2, 2020. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
22. "Thousands march through NYC neighborhoods on 6th day of George Floyd protests". 1010 WINS. June 2, 2020. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
23. "Protests in N.Y.C.: Latest Updates". The New York Times. June 2, 2020. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved June 2, 2020.
24. "Thousands of protesters gather at the Stonewall Inn demanding an end to the murder of Black trans people". PinkNews. June 3, 2020. Retrieved June 3, 2020.