Breaking} Founder of Miss Trans America Pageant Killed
Christa Leigh/Facebook
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Founder Of Miss Trans America Pageant Killed In First Reported Transgender Murder Of 2018
Mark Steele-Knudslien has been charged with the murder of his wife, Christa Leigh Steele-Knudslien.
The founder of the Miss Trans America Pageant was found stabbed to death in her Massachusetts home on Friday. Mark Steele-Knudslien, 47, has been charged in the murder of his wife, Christa Leigh Steele-Knudslien, 42, after confessing to the crime. He is being held in the Berkshire County Jail without bail.
Police say that they did not know of any history of domestic violence between the couple.
Christa Leigh/Facebook
Christa Leigh was an active transgender advocate, founding both Miss Trans America and Miss Trans New England. She married Mark last summer and posted publicly about her marriage on Facebook, even as recently as December 25, 2017: “Had an AMAZING Christmas with hubby & great friends,” she wrote. “Hopefully yours was as AMAZING.”
Police have not yet released information about a motive, though her death is believed to be the first reported homicide of a trans-American in 2018.
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