MILWAUKEE — A 33-year-old Milwaukee man was charged in connection to the murder of Cashay Henderson.
Henderson, a 31-year-old Black trans woman, died from gunshot wounds in an apartment that was set on fire in Milwaukee on Sunday, Feb. 26.
The Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office has charged Cordell M. Howze with one count of first-degree reckless homicide (habitual criminality repeater), use of a dangerous weapon, and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon (habitual criminality repeater).
The Milwaukee Fire Department responded to a home near 29th and Villard on Feb. 26 for a fire. After discovering Henderson with a gunshot wound, Milwaukee police were notified. According to a criminal complaint, during a search of the home, a detective recovered a gasoline can, a gas can nozzle, and the key fob for a Toyota. An unfired 9mm cartridge was also recovered. Henderson’s Toyota was found parked in the parking lot.
An autopsy revealed Henderson’s death was caused by multiple gunshot wounds.
A witness told authorities that when she went to bed around 1 a.m., she did not see Henderson’s car parked in the lot.
The witness’ friend who stayed the night told authorities she woke up from a loud noise that she thought may have been a gunshot around 5:30 a.m. The witness then woke up around 7:30 a.m. and smelled gas.
Around 8 a.m., the apartment began to get smokey and when she looked out the window, she now saw Henderson’s car in the parking lot. The complaint says by 9 a.m., the witness went to Henderson’s apartment but nobody answered. She called 911 when she saw smoke coming from Henderson’s vent.
A Milwaukee Police pole camera near Teutonia and Villard captured Henderson’s car heading home to her apartment building around 3:45 a.m., the complaint says.
The footage appears to show at least two different people in the car.
Video later captured a suspect on camera walking south across the parking lot of Henderson’s apartment building around 8:45 a.m.
Security video appeared to also show that the suspect had been in the passenger seat of Henderson’s car. A latent print recovered from a container of Lysol wipes inside the vehicle was determined to be Howze.
A man told authorities that on Saturday, Feb. 25, Howze asked him to drive him from Neenah to Milwaukee. The clothing he was wearing that day was consistent with the clothing worn by the suspect in the security video. After dropping Howze off in Milwaukee, the man went back home alone.
On Monday night, Feb. 27, Howze showed up at the man’s home in Neenah. The complaint says Howze pointed his firearm with a green laser beam at the man’s wife.
Howze was in the man’s living room, armed with a black Sig 9mm PT20 handgun with a green laser beam and an extended magazine, the complaint says. The man says he took the firearm and took it apart.
Howze was “acting strange and had a blank stare on his face.” The man told authorities that Howze showed him a video that depicted what appeared to be a dead African American woman with blood on her head, as well as on the floor and pillows. The description of the home in the video matched Henderson’s apartment, according to the complaint.
Howze allegedly said, “I caught a body of a disgusting (explicit) tran.” The complaint says “caught a body” which means, in this context, Howze is admitting he killed a transgendered person.
Howze also put his phone in airplane mode “so that the police could not track it.” He also allegedly mentioned he wanted to kill several other people, the complaint states.
When he reacquired the gun and began pointing it at people, the man told Howze to leave.
Howze’s mother stated that Sunday morning he came home agitated and handed her a Gucci purse and Rolex watch. She gave the purse and watch to police who were later able to identify it as Henderson’s purse.
On Feb. 28, Neenah and Menasha police attempted to locate Howze and arrest him. During the chase and before the arrest, the complaint says Howze threw several items into the snow, including a Black Sig Sauer P320 9mm Semi-automatic handgun with a green laser attachment, three firearm magazines, one of which contained cartridges similar to the unfired cartridge found in Henderson’s home. Howze was eventually arrested after his car was disabled during the pursuit.
On Monday, a competency examination was ordered for Howze. He returns to court for a doctor's report return on March 20.
If Howze is convicted, he could face up to 85 years in prison and a $25,000 fine.
