Boyfriend Sentenced In Transgender Woman's Fatal Shooting: Prince George's Prosecutor

UPPER MARLBORO, MD — A man who killed a transgender woman he was dating after learning of her gender change will remain behind bars for almost 50 years.

DeAllen Price, now 29, was dating 20-year-old Taya Ashton, who was a transgender woman. Ashton was shot and killed in her Suitland apartment in 2021. Price pleaded guilty to the fatal shooting and was sentenced Wednesday to 60 years in prison, with all but 48 of those years suspended.

Police arrested Price after he ran onto the tracks inside a Metrorail tunnel in Arlington, Virginia, the day after Ashton’s body was found inside her Suitland apartment. The gun that police said was used in the killing also was found in the tunnel near the Pentagon City station. At the time of his arrest, Price also had a bag that had been taken from Ashton’s apartment, according to police, WTOP reported.

During Price’s sentencing, he shared why he killed Ashton.

“[He] told the court that he was engaged in an intimate relationship with Taya and that that evening was when he first learned that Taya was not born a female and that – in response to that – he reacted and shot her,” said Assistant State’s Attorney Sherrie Waldrup. “That was just a chilling thing to hear. I mean, it’s horrifying. It’s unacceptable. It certainly is not an excuse or justification for what happened to Taya."

Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Aisha Braveboy said during an online news conference Wednesday that Ashton's life was just as valuable as anyone else's.

“Her death represents so much more in terms of our level of tolerance in our community, for people who want to express themselves and live their lives on their own terms. And anyone who chooses to do that should be respected and that their lives are as valuable as anyone else’s life,” Braveboy said.

She cited Human Rights Campaign data showing that at least 32 transgender or gender expansive people were killed in 2023 — more than 80 percent of them were people of color.

District 7 County Council member Krystal Oriadha also said during the news conference that 2021 was one of the deadliest years for the transgender community.

“When we look at 2021, over 375 transgender people were murdered,” Oriadha said.

Karen Kendra Holmes, a trans community advocate, told DC News Now that trans people "want to be loved ... to be accepted for who they are." Holmes works with many coalitions across Prince George’s County to offer the trans community the support and safe space they need.

“It’s a lot that we’re trying to do and Prince George’s County has taken a real strong head on that,” she said. “I’m trying to [impact] as many people out there that just do the same thing, helping somebody else out there because once you do, that’s just going to inspire and help somebody that really needs your help."