SAN ANTONIO – A 19-year-old man has been charged with manslaughter, accused of causing the death of a transgender woman in April 2017.

Kenne McFadden, 26, was found dead floating in the San Antonio River at the River Walk near Houston Street. The medical examiner ruled the cause of death asphyxiation by drowning.

The Bexar County District Attorney’s Office indicted Mark Daniel Lewis for McFadden’s death, claiming he pushed her into the river. Lewis told police he was helping McFadden, who was heavily intoxicated, walk to a place to sleep.

While the two were walking Lewis said McFadden had to lean on him for support due to her high levels of intoxication. At some point, Lewis claims McFadden grabbed his buttocks causing him to push her into the river.

San Antonio police said Lewis then left without checking on McFadden to make sure she could swim out of the River Walk. It wasn’t until days later that Lewis said he found out about her death on Facebook.

Lewis is charged with manslaughter, which is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Following McFadden’s death, several transgender pride groups were outraged by media and police's use of the wrong pronouns for the 26-year-old.

Trans Pride Initiative posted the following statement on Facebook: 

Rest in power Kenne McFadden, murdered in San Antonio in April (the drowning was just ruled a homicide).

Some really horrible misgendering in the sources (including one news source "correcting" a friends use of the appropriate pronouns to misgender her), so posting the picture instead of the article, but including the links below.

#sayhername #KenneMcFadden