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LGBT Community On Alert After Transgender Woman Found Dead

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Living in fear. A growing number of attacks of transgender people and two murders put the LGBT community on edge. The latest victim was a transgender woman found dead in a field in Northeast Baltimore.

Meghan McCorkell has more on the investigation.

Police say they don't know who killed Kandy Hall or why they did it.

Steps away from where children play basketball, Kandy Hall's lifeless body was found early Tuesday morning. The transgender woman was found dead along Fillmore Street in a field near a post office and a school.

The murder has rocked the local transgender community.

"Because we do not know the motive behind Kandy's death, the LGBT communities of Baltimore remain apprehensive and on guard," said Carrie Evans, Equality Maryland.

Friday, city police held a meeting with the LGBT Advisory Council. Investigators say they're desperate for clues.

"The car that was driving down the street at the time that you saw that looks suspicious, the light that was on that's not normally on," said Lt. Eric Kowalczyk, Baltimore City Police. "Those little clues which seem insignificant to the person that sees them at the time may be huge in helping us to solve the case."

Hall's death is the second transgender murder in the city of Baltimore in a little more than a year.

In April of last year, 29-year-old Kelly Young was shot and killed in East Baltimore. Her killer was never caught.

"I'm scared to walk places by myself, so I have to hang with a lot of people so the people don't get me," said Dondria Naieem, victim's friend.

Fears sparked in the community in 2011, when video of two teens viciously beating a transgender woman inside a Baltimore McDonald's appeared. Those attackers were sentenced to jail time.

Now police want help so they can put Hall's killer behind bars, too.

A reward is now being offered for information that leads to an arrest in Hall's murder.

Police say they aren't releasing too many details about Hall's death since it is an active investigation.

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