The police had little to go on last week when they recovered the dead body of a young trans man on Reed Street, not far from McGinley Square.
According to sources, there was no identification and no report of a missing person to put a name to the deceased.
That all changed this morning when a woman went to the police to report that her child, Lucka Joseph, had gone missing. The photograph she brought was all that was needed to identify the young man from Reed Street as her son.
The news struck Amy Albert, Founder of Haven Respite Center where Lucka had received counseling, particularly hard.
Lucka was, like so many teens she has worked with, filled with promise. “Lucka was a leader and someone other people came to, a great friend and an incredibly smart person,” Albert said.
The cause of death is still under investigation, however, foul play was not likely involved, according to Ward B Councilwoman Mira Prinz-Arey. Authorities are awaiting a final report from the medical examiner.
Albert is asking that in the future, the police improve communications with organizations like Haven and Hudson Pride, something Prinz-Arey said Police Chief Tawana Moody and Public Safety Director James Shea have committed to.