On August 29, Danielle Smith, 27, and her mother, Theresa Jackson, 61, were found dead in their trailer home in Camden County, Mo. The trailer had been set on fire. Both Danielle and Theresa had been killed before the fire was set, according to this press release from the Camden County Sherriff’s Office. The victims’ neighbor, Steven Endsley, has been charged with the murder (as well as arson and other related charges), and pending further FBI investigation, the murders may be categorized as a hate crime.
Witnesses stated that Endsley had been harassing Smith for several months, calling her names and even making threats to harm her, likely due to her sexual orientation (friends told authorities that Danielle was bisexual, while Danielle’s sister said she was a lesbian). In the hours leading up to the homicide, Endsley allegedly sent text messages to Smith and others containing homophobic slurs, such as “Bipolar Lesbos” and “no dikesor faggots” [sic].
According to an analysis of 2014 data collected by the FBI, LGBT people are more likely to be the target of a hate crime than any other minority group.
A GoFundMe page has been made to help the family cover funeral costs.
