TDoR 2022 / 2021 / December / 31 / Nikki Turrietta


Nikki Turrietta

Age 31

31 Dec 2021
Albuquerque, New Mexico (USA)
Shot

TDoR list ref: tgeu/tdor2022/31-Dec-2021/Nikki Turietta

Nikki Turrietta
Nikki Turrietta [photo: www.kob.com]

Nikki was found fatally shot in her home the last day of 2021, but her murder was not reported among the LGBT+ community until late January 2022.

Her death was at least the 53rd violent killing of a transgender or gender non-conforming person in the USA in 2021.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - A local family is heartbroken and desperate after their loved one was gunned down in their own home recently.

Jen Struck is the aunt of the victim police found Friday. Police say they identified the person as Nikki Turrietta.

Albuquerque police said they found the body of a person shot in the head inside a home on Maggies Avenue, near downtown. Struck says they lived there alone.

31-year-old Turrietta was born and raised in Albuquerque, graduating from Amy Biehl High School. Their aunt says they were a loving family member. “We're just all in shock. I don't think it's really set in for some of us yet,” Struck said.

Like many, they had just finished celebrating the holidays with family. Struck said their loved one "was a character" and “just completely free spirit.”

Struck says they also traveled all over the United States and the world, before coming back to her hometown a few years ago. She now wishes they had never returned.

https://www.advocate.com/crime/2022/1/28/two-more-trans-americans-reported-killed-2021

https://www.hrc.org/news/remembering-nikki-turrietta-a-free-spirit-who-loved-her-family

https://web.archive.org/web/20220105142422/https://www.abqjournal.com/2458743/police-id-several-recent-abq-homicide-victims.html

https://www.kob.com/albuquerque-news/a-lsquofree-spiritrsquo-albuquerquersquos-final-homicide-victim-of-2021-remembered/6348432/

Report added: 31 Jan 2022. Last updated: 8 Nov 2022

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This site contains reports of violence against transgender people, and links to detailed reports which contain graphic imagery.

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