Transgender Macon woman killed in December knew man charged with her murder, police say

Bibb County sheriff’s deputies arrested a Macon man Wednesday for the murder of a transgender woman in December, officials said.

Police arrested Jaleel Deshawn Parker, 26, in a business on Northside Drive at about noon Wednesday, according to a statement from the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office. Parker is charged with killing Destin Howard, 23.

Howard was found shot to death in a parking lot on Thomaston Road the morning of Dec. 9, past releases from the sheriff’s office said.

A warrant issued by the sheriff’s office for Parker’s arrest said Howard’s roommate told police that Parker and Howard talked on the phone shortly before her death. The roommate said Parker sounded upset over the phone and visited Howard’s residence the day of the shooting.

The roommate told police that Parker was paying Howard money to keep their relationship a secret. It was unclear in the warrant what the nature of the alleged relationship was.

Howard’s death was reported as the 36th known violent killing of a transgender or gender non-conforming person in 2022 by the Human Rights Campaign. Multiple human rights outlets reported on her death.

Howard graduated from Westside High School in 2019 and loved fashion, according to her obituary.

Parker was held without bond following his arrest.