Killing Of Trans Woman Decades Ago Is Finally Solved

Terrie Ladwig’s Friend Talks About It.

A suspect has finally been arrested for a murder that happened in the East Bay back in the 1990s.

Concord police, with the help of the FBI and the Contra Costa District Attorney’s office, arrested a trucker, James Grimsley, who is suspected of killing trans woman Terrie Ladwia. The arrest happened last Thursday.

Brittany Shoras, who was friends with the victim, told ABC 7 News that she never thought it was going to be solved,” and that she “screamed over the phone” when she found out an arrest had been made.

Ladwig was beaten and strangled to death in a Concord apartment a little over 28 years ago. Her husband, a U.S. Navy Sailor, found her body inside the apartment after being away on military leave. He was not considered a suspect.

“She was a great woman, she had a great personality, she made people laugh. She would brighten my day when she came in. We talked about transgender issues and the laws that we didn’t have back in those days that we have today,” Shoras told ABC 7 News.

“I can tell you it was a violent scene, looked like there was a violent struggle between Terrie and the suspect,” said Lt. Sean Donnelly of the Concord Police Department.

Police won’t say how they linked truck driver Grimsley to the murder but have said that there is forensic evidence in the case.  Grimsley is currently behind bars in Utah.


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