Pgh Lesbian Correspondents

An attempted carjacking left a Black trans woman dead and her brother hospitalized on Monday, March 31, 2024 in Autaugaville, Alabama. Her name was Kaitoria ‘Kai’ Le’Cynthia Bankz.

The would-be carjacker, Kelmen Merrell King, is in police custody.

WSFA reports that Bankz and King communicated online before the deadly incident and met for what investigators believe would be a sexual encounter. Bankz brought her brother, the sheriff said, though he provided no other details as to why.

Law enforcement alleges King attempted to commit a carjacking. He shot Kai who was pronounced dead at the scene. Her brother, Cameron Reynolds, was shot in the head and transported to a local hospital. He is expected to make a full recovery. Cameron identifies as a gay Black man.

King surrendered and is facing homicide and attempted homicide charges. No further information on the killing has been released.

Honoring Kai

Her name was Kaitoria ‘Kai’ Le’Cynthia Bankz also known as Mi Amor. Born on August 24, 1994, she was 31 years old at the time of her death. She was born and raised in Montgomery, Alabama.

Kai liked Beyonce, Kelly Rowland, Kehlani, Ciara, Doja Cat, Big Freedia and many other musical artists. Her Facebook profile is filled with her colorful hair, makeup, and nail styles.

Kai’s profile also celebrates her immediate and extended family, filled with birthday wishes and photos of family events. Her chosen middle name honored her mother, another parent who has to bury their child.

Since August 2023, Kai worked as a PrEP navigator with The Knights and Orchids Society (TKO Society.)

She was loved by light in our organization,” said TC Caldwell, Executive Director of TKO Society. “Her bold presence inspired everyone around her. She was making significant contributions in LGBTQ+ work through health coordination, community support, and advocacy.”

The full statement from TKO can be found on Instagram.

Her friend TC Caldwell posted on Facebook

She was turning her life around. She wanted to be a leader and help folks. We would share stories about our past and how far we had come. She called me “Boss man” or ED lol

That Black woman looked me in my face in DC last year (the pic posted) and told me she felt like she was doing the work she should be doing. She was coming into her womanhood. She was making changes to be her FULL self.She/her respect that’s how she wanted to be addressed.

She was so proud to have her name change and new ID. She was proud of being in the YH fellowship and the elevate fellowship. She was damn sure proud of working at TKO.

I’ll have more to say later but she was fucking trying yall. She was fucking trying smh she may not have had the language, but she pushed herself to find it. She used her lived experiences to help folks navigate systems she was still navigating.

The Context

Kai is the sixth trans person whose death has been reported in 2025. She is the fifth trans woman, the fourth Black trans woman, the fifth Black trans person, and the sixth transgender person of color on our list. At 31, Kai is the oldest person on the list to date.

All of the people on our list for this year are BIPOC folx. Not most of them, not the majority – all of them.

Alabama lost two young adults in 2024, Tayy Dior Thomas (Age 17) and Cam Thompson (Age 18) In 2020 another teen wasa killed – Bella Pugh (Age 19) And in 2019 Dana Martin (Age 31) was killed.

Hopefully, the investigation will bring to light the reason this man killed Kai. Hopefully, the justice system will protect other people from his violence. Indubitably, her family will move forward feeling forever more the loss of Kai while grateful Cameron survived. That’s a terrible loss to process.

Rest in power, Kaitoria. Your work in your community saved lives and inspired so many others. Your pride in your name change and new ID is infectious joy that every trans person should be able to access if they choose. You deserved – we deserved – many more years of you sharing your lived experiences to list us all up. I am sorry we did not create a world secure enough to keep you safe. Your name will never be forgotten.

May your memory be a revolution.

A correction was made to address the error in sharing Kai’s birthdate. We apologize for the error.

Deaths reported in 2025

1. Tahiry ‘Tokyo’ Broom – February 9, 2025. Detroit, Michigan. Age 29.
2. Sam Nordquist – February 2025. Canandaigua, New York. Age 24.
3. Amyri Dior – February 21, 2025. Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Age 23.
4. Ervianna ‘Baydee’ Johnsonn – February 19, 2025. Tabor City, North Carolina. Age 25.
5. Linda Becerra Moran – February 27, 2025. Los Angeles, California. Age 30.
6. Kaitoria ‘Kai’ Le’Cynthia Bankz – March 31, 2025. Autaugaville, Alabama. Age 31.

Other deaths I’ve reported during 2025

• Elisa Rae Shupe – January 27, 2025. Syracuse, New York. Age 61.
• Chilendrina Gracia Dominguez – January 18, 2021. Reported February 2025. Albuquerque, New Mexico. Age 42.
• Amira O’Neill – July 6, 2023. Ann Arbor, Michigan. Age 44.
• Jay Lee – July 8, 2022. Oxford, Mississippi. Age 20.