Transgender woman turns self in for questioning in deaths of 2 in Midtown

With community activist Quanell X by her side, a transgender woman turned herself in for questioning Wednesday in the deaths of two people killed in Midtown over the weekend.

The victims, 35-year-old Robert Isaac and Willie Sims, were found lying in the middle of Dennis and Fannin streets around 11 p.m. Sunday. Isaac is also a transgender woman who went by the alias "Shontae."

The person considered a "key figure" in the investigation is Joe Colquitt, aka "Serenity."

Family members told Channel 2 that Isaac and Sims had been having some sort of trouble with another group of people for several months.

A family friend who had come to pick up Isaac found both victims lying in the road bleeding.  Witnesses told him they were attacked by a group of people.

Isaac was hit in the head with a crowbar, and Sims was shot and killed after trying to help get the attackers away from Isaac.

Isaac's cousin says the people attacked the victims because they were jealous.

"It was some other homosexuals hating and jealous because she didn't bother nobody.  He did his thing, they were jealous, it was an ongoing altercation. Something happened three weeks ago (and) I thought they squashed it, I'm thinking it was over," Calvin Jones said.

Isaac's mother said she was on the phone with her son when the attack occurred.

"Before they got off the phone they said 'There they go, there they go right there.' And I was trying to make him get back on the phone. Next thing I knew someone was knocking on my door telling me I had to come downtown, saying that was it, he was dead," Leola Thompson said.

Quanell X said Colquitt was present when the attack happened, but is not responsible.

"She says she was at the scene, she was there, but she was a victim of what was taking place out there.  She didn't shoot anybody.  She had no weapon.  She didn't harm anybody," Quanell X said.  "But the victim in this case was the was the person who initiated the entire incident and conflict out there."

Quanell X said Isaac's past contributed to her death.

"I ask you all to do your due diligence and look into the background of this victim.  I believe this victim's background played a role in what actually happened out there on that day," Quanell X said.  "There's a whole lot more to this story that is not being told but I can assure you that this victim was not targeted for being transgender."

He said Colquitt, like Isaac, was living as a woman and had no reason to harm her.

"This is a transgender woman herself.  Why would she want to kill somebody for being transgender? There's a lot more to this story," Quanell X said.

A friend of the victims' as well as Colquitt came to the police station shortly after Colquitt walked inside. She said she was there to show support. 

"The Serenity that I knew, she was, you know, just like any other person. She wound up getting into school. She figured out that she wanted to start her transition and she started her transition, and we're here now," Dee Dee Watters said.