Welcome to Mysteries of the Missing, a podcast and blog about missing person's cases. You can find my podcast, my blog, and my social media pages on my Linktree at: https://linktr.ee/MysteriesoftheMissing.
Keep in mind that I am only reporting the events of what have happened, per my research through various media outlets. I’m not trained in any way in true crime. Instead, I'm a published author who loves to blog. Also, I’m solely a human being that’s trying to do my part to get the message of the story of missing trans people out there so that one day, hopefully, they may be found, and their cases may be solved. Join me as I dive into the last day that people saw some people within this community and what happened after they were last seen.
Notice: This episode and blog post contains information pertaining to people belonging to the transsexual community, aka "Trans." If you do not like that, please just disregard this and move on. Harassment and bullying will not be allowed and if it happens on social media, it will be reported.
"LGBTQ people — and transgender and gender-nonconforming people in particular — disproportionately face discrimination and violence in the United States. At least 50 trans or gender-nonconforming people, the majority of them Black, have died by violence this year, making 2021 the deadliest year on record for trans people, according to the Human Rights Campaign, which has been tracking fatal anti-trans violence since 2013. A report released last month by the Human Right Campaign found that in approximately 80 percent of the reported transgender fatalities since 2013, victims were initially misgendered by the media or law enforcement. And in at least 30 of the 50 trans fatalities recorded this year, police initially misgendered victims and used their birth names." - NBC News, year: 2020
This podcast exists to shed light on topics that may cause others to bristle, but are necessary to bring about change in this world. When I first began this journey into becoming a podcaster and blogger, I knew I had to include the stories of the minority. That includes but is not limited to: BIPOC or black, indigenous, people of color, including Asians and AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander), people from countries outside of America or immigrants to America, and people of the LGBTQIAP+ community. These marginalized communities deserve to have their stories told, and I would like to be one person in cog of one of the many wheels that helps to spread the word.
"According to The Trevor Project:
LGBTQ+ young people are more than four times as likely to attempt suicide than their peers (Johns et al., 2019; Johns et al., 2020).
The Trevor Project estimates that more than 1.8 million LGBTQ+ young people (ages 13-24) seriously consider suicide each year in the U.S. — and at least one attempts suicide every 45 seconds.
The Trevor Project’s 2023 U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ Young People found that 41% of LGBTQ+ young people seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, including roughly half of transgender and nonbinary youth."
Today, we are going to be talking about missing trans people in America. I have chosen only two stories that I think need to be told, and they are by far not the only stories out there. For more cases, you can check out the Missing and Unidentified LGBT Individuals page on Facebook.
For those unfamiliar with the LGBTQIAP+ community, when I refer to the term "dead name," it means someone's birth-given name that they no longer use. It is customary out of respect and kindness to the person to use their chosen name and not their dead (or "legal") name. Using someone's dead name is considered slanderous and offensive to them.
"Misgendering" means that someone is calling someone by their incorrect gender.
Native American two-spirit people were male, female, and sometimes intersexed individuals who combined activities of both men and women with traits unique to their status as two-spirit people. In most tribes, they were considered neither men nor women; they occupied a distinct, alternative gender status. In tribes where two-spirit males and females were referred to with the same term, this status amounted to a third gender. In other cases, two-spirit females were referred to with a distinct term and, therefore, constituted a fourth gender. Although there were important variations in two-spirit roles across North America, they shared some common traits.
The first case I would like to cover tonight is that of thirteen year old Oliver Klein (dead name that police are using: Shyann Klein). Oliver is from Norman, Oklahoma. Some of my family is from this city and I know the old school, religious thinking that pervades there. This city and the state of Oklahoma is a highly conservative state as a whole. Does that mean there aren't open, loving people there? No, there are. However, the state continues to demean and belittle and try to extinguish the LGBTQIAP+ community, as referenced in this newest signed bill: https://www.iwv.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/OK-gov-stitt-executive-order-womens-bill-of-rights.pdf.
So it's no surprise that the Norman Police Department is still calling Oliver by his dead name and using the pronouns she/her for him. Police said "Shyann Klein" (chosen name: "Oliver") was last seen overnight in the area of 24th Avenue Southeast and Lindsey Street. It is unknown what the teenager might be wearing.
When I did a Facebook search to try to find Oliver, I found him under the name of "Shyann Klein." I don't know if Oliver recently changed his name, if he just didn't want to create a new account under the name of Oliver, or if his parents wouldn't let him change his name on Facebook to Oliver Klein. He is only thirteen, after all. The last post from Oliver on his dead name Facebook profile was from updating his cover photo in 2021, so either he's not active on this profile or he doesn't allow non-friends to see his page.
Oliver went missing on the night of July 6, 2023 in Norman in the area of 24th Ave SE and Lindsey Street overnight. The last update about his case that I could find on Google was from November 2023. In addition, there's not much information about Oliver and his home life, just that he was a kind kid. "Authorities also don't know if Oliver was kidnapped or ran away." This is a lack of concern on the local police's part.
One search on the internet for images of Oliver Klein tells me that Tiktok cares more for this kid than the Norman Police, who are misgendering Oliver. I said it.
Authorities are urging anyone who possesses any details about Oliver's whereabouts or who spots him to contact the Norman Police immediately at (405) 321-1444.
Someone has to care about this next person, whom no loved ones seem to be concerned about. Arielle Dicks (dead name: Marcus) was 38 on Thursday, February 10, 2022 when she went missing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Not much information about the case is available. Surprise surprise! Another person of color (Hispanic, mind you) that the authorities don't care about. It's Phili, so you would think they'd be more open to helping Arielle, since it's the "City of Brotherly Love," but I guess not.
If you have any information about her whereabouts, please contact the Northwest Detectives Division at 215-686-3353.
Arielle Dicks Missing since: 2/10/22
The last person I want to cover today (however briefly it is) is Aubrey Dameron, a trans, Native American woman from the Cherokee Nation. What's odd about this to me is that she was last seen at her mother's home on March 9, 2019. Has Aubrey's mother been interviewed about her disappearance? Not to my knowledge or research. But isn't it odd that she was last seen at her mother's place and there's no information about her whereabouts after that?
Aubrey has two tattoos on her body: on the back of her neck are 3 interconnected ovals (triquetra) and on her upper left arm is the word "shorty."
Aubrey Dameron Missing since: 3/9/2019
Isn't it sad that when we want to share information about certain people, we can only share a little, because...well, there's frankly not enough details available to take a deep dive into these cases.
So why would I want to cover three cases where there's not that much for me to share? The simple fact is that these trans people had names, lives, and a future, and now they are missing. Despite what the media and law enforcement may or may not do (which doesn't seem like much), these people deserve for their stories to be told, no matter how small. The length of my podcast means nothing -- it pales in comparison to the ability to be able to shed light on injustice in the "justice" and criminal system.
The biggest thing these three people I've spoken about today is that there's not much information about their cases...or them. Case in point: There are only six trans cases on the Namus website...yet thousands of trans people go missing every year.
I will leave you with this: When you see a person that is different from you (be it that they are Cis aka living in the gender of their birth or Trans), just be kind. Ask how they are doing, give a smile. If someone happens to go missing and you don't agree with their lifestyle or their choices, just share their picture, their story, or help look for them. This will make the world a better place.
Arielle, Aubrey, and Oliver: This message is for you. You are worthy of love and respect, no matter what. It's no one's business but yours what you do with your life, and you are beautiful just as you are. I care about you...and I guarantee many others do, also. You are not alone, nor are you forgotten, wherever you are.
If you have any information about Arielle, Aubrey, or Oliver's cases, you may also contact me at mysteriesofthemissing2023@gmail.com. Please connect with me on Facebook, Tiktok, and Instagram at "Mysteriesofthemissing."
This has been another episode of Mysteries of the Missing. Until next time, stay safe.
Resources:
Two Spirit: https://www.ihs.gov/lgbt/health/twospirit/
Missing Unknown LGBT Persons: https://www.facebook.com/missingunknownlgbtpersons
The Trevor Project: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/article/facts-about-lgbtq-youth-suicide/
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