Britney Cosby and Crystal Jackson were found murdered by a dumpster outside of Galveston County in Texas. The Houston-based women, both 24 years old, were in a two-year relationship, and described by one neighbor as "soul mates." The two are survived by friends and loving family members, including Crystal's five-year-old daughter. Elixher broke the story yesterday.
Britney and Crystal's bodies were discovered on Friday morning by a convenience store salesman when he went to take out the trash. He said they looked like mannequins, at first site.
The couple shared a recently-purchased car—a silver 2006 Kia Sorrento—that is now missing. A witness reported seeing the car being driven by a man while the two women were inside. The composite sketch and the car's image are featured to the left and right, respectively.
This man, suspected to be linked to the murders, is described as a black male of average build, 5'11 to 6', in his late 20's to early 30's.
According to ABC's Houston affiliate ABC 13, "Detectives say neither woman appears to have been sexually assaulted. They say they were each killed in different ways, but apparently by the same person or group of people. Neither woman, they say, was tortured before being killed."
In addition to numerous local outlets, including ABC 13, LGBT outlets Elixher, The New Civil Rights Movement, Towleroad, and Joe. My. God. have reported on the case, at the time of publishing. The Huffington Post has also been updating its article on the story.
GLAAD is calling on national mainstream outlets and additional LGBT outlets to bring attention to what has happened to Crystal and Britney. Far too often, LGBT women of color are excluded or mistreated—in daily life, in the media, and systemically. The young couple has suffered the ultimate penalty and it only serves as a further injustice to remain silent or complacent about their story.
"Crystal and Britney grisly murder is a reminder to all of us that anti-LGBT violence continues in this country. No one deserves to die that way, and we must continue to raise attention to their story until their loved ones receive the justice they deserve," said Sarah Kate Ellis, President and CEO of GLAAD. "This is not a moment to be complacent about the advances we have made as an LGBT movement, this is a moment to redouble our efforts so that horrific murders don't happen again."
"They killed her, mama," cried Crystal's sister, Lequetia, in her mother's arms. Seemingly sending a message to Crystal's murderer, Lequetia asked, "What did they do to you for you to kill my sister? You beat my sister up and your just…you messed her up to the point where she can't breathe no more."
"I never thought that it would come my time to bury my child," said Ivan, Crystal's father.
"I just keep going round and round in my mind, wondering how this could happen and who could do this," Britney's dad, Larry James Cosby, told the Houston Chronicle.
Her great-grandmother Annie said to the local paper, "I raised Britney since she was 2. She was a normal girl. All she did was go to school and work." Annie, Larry, and Britney lived together in what's been the family home for three generations.
In 2012, GLAAD covered the bleak attacks on Texan teen couple Mollie Olgin and Mary Kristene Chapa. Just a few hours away from Galveston, the girls were shot execution style in a park. Mollie died at the scene while Kristene was left in critical condition. The heartbreaking story received national attention. Throughout the country, communities rallied to support Mollie, Kristene, and LGBT youth and young adults like them who suffer at the hands of anti-LGBT violence.
Call the Galveston County Sheriff's Office tip line at 866-248-8477 if you have any information about the murder of Britney and Crystal or the stolen car.
You can watch ABC 13's coverage of the base below: