Two British youths have been charged with the murder of transgender TikToker Brianna Ghey and ordered held without bail, according to local officials on Wednesday. Ghey’s body was discovered in a park.
The boy and girl, both 15 years old, were formally accused before a district judge on Wednesday, according to the Cheshire constabulary.
During the hearing, the boy’s parents from Leigh were holding hands. According to The Guardian, the father waved to his son at one point.
The girl’s parents wept as she confirmed her name, age, and birth date, according to the news source.
The teenagers, who wore gray sweatshirts and joggers, were denied bail by District Judge Joe McGarva, who addressed the case via video link. Both were ordered to be placed in youth correctional camps.
Saturday afternoon in Warrington’s Linear Park, 16-year-old Ghey was discovered stabbed to death. The suspects were taken into custody shortly thereafter.
In response to the gruesome discovery, police stated that they felt the attack was “targeted,” but found no proof that Ghey’s killing was a transphobic hate crime.
According to The Guardian, both suspects have been in prison since Monday; their identities have not been disclosed due to their age.
Following the hearings, the Cheshire constabulary issued a statement urging the public not to disseminate materials that could “in any way prejudice” the investigation.
According to the BBC, vigils honoring Ghey were held in Liverpool and Bristol prior to Wednesday’s hearing, with more planned in Manchester, Glasgow, Leeds, and beyond.
A GoFundMe for Ghey’s family has raised approximately £90,000 ($108,085.76) as of Wednesday morning.
“Brianna was an outgoing, self-assured girl,” the description of the fundraiser reads.
She brought many smiles to the faces of people who knew her.
In addition to her loved ones, Ghey also left a legacy on TikTok, where her lip sync videos and other content earned her thousands of followers. Wednesday, her name was a trending hashtag on the internet as other content makers expressed shock at her passing.
One of the tragic films read, “literally sitting here in tears.”