Massachusetts : Rita Hester
Photo: WGBH
Boston, Massachusetts, is one of my favorite places I have visited. It is known as Bean Town and is one of the United States oldest cities. Although it is packed full of historic charm, brick lined streets, and delicious food, it does have its fair share of crime. It sits at a crime index of 14 on NeighborhoodScout.com, meaning your chance of becoming a victim of a violent crime is one in 152.
This is one reason we are navigating advocacy here in Boston. More specifically we are discussing a crime in the neighborhood of Allston. Located on the western side of Boston, Allston is a vibrant and diverse neighborhood known for its youthful energy and cultural scene. Originally a part of the town of Brighton, it was annexed by Boston in the late 19th century. Allston is home to a large student population due to its proximity to Boston University and Harvard. The streets are lined with a mix of historic brownstones, now modern apartments, and quirky shops and eateries. It also has a strong connection to the music scene, with numerous venues hosting live performances ranging from indie rock to jazz. One of those venues is the Silhouette cocktail lounge that opened back in 1965 and has been a staple in the Allston community since. It is one of the few dive bars that reopened after the covid pandemic.
Photo: Boston Globe
Crime statistics in Allston specifically weren’t the easiest to find from 1998 when this story took place, but there was a moderate level of crime reported including theft and vandalism.
This area was home to Rita Hester. Rita was born in Hartford, Connecticut on November 30, 1963. She was a beautiful black transgender woman and was one of five kids in the household. She was well loved and had a bright personality. In one article, Rita’s friend said she “lived large and loved big.” In the photos I have seen of her I feel that really showed through. Her younger sister said Rita was “born to be a star.”
Rita could sing, dance, and write poetry. She was truly an artist. It’s cliche to say that she “lit up a room” when she entered it but Rita’s nephew described his aunt’s vibrant personality as palpable. He said you could feel when she walked in. There was never a time in Rita’s life when she wasn’t Rita. Even if that wasn’t her birth name she was always “Rita”.
While Rita was in Hartford, her identity wasn’t as widely accepted. People were being assaulted and severely injured, leading Rita to move in her 20’s to Boston where she had friends. Here she made her transition permanent and loved to entertain. One of Rita’s favorite places in Boston to visit was a gay bar called Jacque’s. Bartenders knew Rita well and said she was always a happy patron and would sing and dance and just be there for a good time.
Her outgoing personality and fearless attitude made her friends a bit nervous as Rita regularly went into straight bars to pick up dates. Not all was scary when Rita went into these clubs though. She was able to meet one of her closest friends at one of the bars that was within walking distance of her home. This friend, I’ll call Wendy, and Rita were always spending time together. Whether it was just hanging out in Rita’s first floor apartment on Park Vale Avenue eating pizza, laughing, gossiping or if they were going out.
On November 26, 1998, Rita spent Thanksgiving with Wendy instead of returning home to Hartford to spend it with her family. This was the first Thanksgiving Rita had missed.
Two days later on November 28, Rita and Wendy spent the morning playing racquetball. Around noon, Rita returned to her own apartment but had intended to return to Wendy’s that evening.
Around 4pm, Rita called another friend and let them know that she was heading to the Silhouette Lounge and asked that friend to join. That friend wouldn’t head out until around 7pm. As they were walking towards the lounge they noticed a heavy police presence in the direction of Rita’s apartment but did not think too much of it. Rita had been seen at Silhouette around 5pm by other patrons.
Around 6pm, Rita’s neighbor heard an altercation happening inside Rita’s apartment. She called the police and asked someone to come check out what could possibly have happened next door. Officers were dispatched at 6:12pm. It would take more than an hour for law enforcement to arrive at Rita’s apartment where they would find her barely alive.
She had been stabbed over 20 times. Paramedics rushed her to Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital but Rita’s injuries were too severe and she died from cardiac arrest just two days before her 35th birthday.
There were no signs of forced entry into Rita’s apartment leading investigators to believe that she invited her attacker into her home. Once inside there were signs of a struggle. The phone had been ripped from the wall and there was half a shoe print left behind.
Photo: NBC News
After Rita’s murder, the media had little coverage of the case. And the coverage that was shared was incorrect. Many outlets not only misgendered, and misnamed Rita, they also regularly called her a transvestite or described her solely as a man who wore long braids and preferred women’s clothes. They even lead some readers to believe that Rita led a double life. Many letters to the editor were written due to the insensitivity of reporting.
This may not come as a shock to many but law enforcement also did not help the investigation. When they notified Rita’s mother of her death, it was via a phone call. They did not notify her in person or ask if she was alone. She was delivered this horrific news with no empathy.
A few days after the murder, police released the apartment to Rita’s family. What many don’t know is that when there is a crime scene, after police release it, they are not responsible for cleaning the scene. There are businesses that you can hire to come in and clear the scene for you, but it is costly. I did a quick search for an estimate on what these services can run and it is between $400-600 an hour.
Rita’s family could not afford to hire this service out and they were left with a gruesome bloody scene to process. When they entered Rita’s apartment, someone had flipped over a mattress in an attempt to cover the majority of the blood but it was not fully concealed. While packing up Rita’s items, her family members found what they believed to be an integral piece of evidence. When interviewed about this piece later, Rita’s sister couldn’t remember the specifics of that piece but felt it shouldn’t have been left behind.
This led the family to not have confidence in the investigation from the beginning.
As time passed, Rita’s family received less and less information from detectives in regards to the investigation.
Rita’s murder is still unsolved to this day. According to the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs in 1998, the number of actual or suspected anti-gay murders in reporting cities increased by 136% from 14 in 1997, to 33 in 1998. And according to researcher Brendan Lantz, the clearance rates for trans homicide victims is less than 50%. Lantz is an assistant professor in the college of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Florida State University.
Just weeks before Rita’s murder, the world learned of the torture, beating and murder of Matthew Sheppard in Laramie, Wyoming.
And just 3 years prior, almost to the day, on November 20, 1995, 23 year old transgender woman, Chanelle Pickett was murdered in nearby Watertown, Massachusetts.
In 1999, the Transgender Day of Remembrance was created by founders, Gwendolyn Ann Smith, Nancy Nangeroni and Jahaira DeAlto to honor Rita, Chanelle, and the countless others who have lost their lives due to transphobia. It is held every November 20, to coincide with Chanelle’s birthday, and the anniversary of Rita’s death.
It wasn’t until 2022, when Rita’s name would enter the media again when Boston Mayor, Michelle Wu, commissioned a mural of Rita along with a line from one of the poems Rita had written. Titled “Rita’s Spotlight” the mural was crafted to acknowledge the contributions Rita made to the LGBTQIA+ community.
Photo: Street Art Cities.com
This past December, police put out a public plea requesting any information in relation to Rita’s murder. Rita’s family believes it was only put out due to the anniversary of Rita’s death and the success of the Transgender Day of Remembrance.
Rita’s mother passed away in 2020 still seeking answers. Her sister has since taken over the pursuit of justice.
If you have any information or were in the Allston area in November 1998, please contact the Boston Police Department at 617.343.4470.
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