Police reluctant to offer details after a transgender woman was found burned beyond recognition

A 23-year-old black transgender woman was found burned beyond recognition in Florida and her death has elicited outrage. But police have refused to offer further information on her death.

The body of 23-year-old Bee Love Slater was discovered inside an abandoned car in Clewiston, Florida, on Sept. 4. Police had to use dental records to identify her due to the extent of damage done to her body.

Despite calls from the LGBT community for more information, authorities say they are reluctant to release details about the investigation into her death.

Hundreds attended a vigil on Sept. 6 in Pahokee, Fla., said Desmond Vereen, a friend who helped organize the gathering.

Though it’s been two weeks since her body was discovered, the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office, which is leading the investigation, said it’s too early to say if her death can be classified as a hate crime.

“We’ve not been able nail down a possible hate-crime angle, as far as I know,” Capt. Susan Harrelle, a public information officer at the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office, told ABC News in an interview on Monday, September 16.

She also said the sheriff’s office was aware of social media reports that speculated Slater had been shot and tied up in the car, but she said there was no evidence to confirm those reports.

Harrelle acknowledged members of South Florida’s LGBTQ community have shown frustration with the investigation, but said authorities looking into the case have been extremely reluctant to release information to the public out of privacy concerns.

“They’re not releasing a lot of information because it’s an active, ongoing investigation. I can only suspect that some of what they’re learning is really sensitive,” Harrelle said.

Investigators are examining a number of social media posts directed at Slater before her killing, including some that wished death on her, according to The New York Times.

Slater was found just days after 17-year-old Bailey Reeves, who is also transgender, was shot and killed in Baltimore. Police have released few details on that case, but said they do not believe she was the intended target.

At least 18 transgender people, including Slater, have been killed this year, according to the Human Rights Campaign.