Overdose killed transgender woman: mother
The mother of Myrah Whitstone, the transgender woman whose body was found along a rural highway last spring, says her child died of an overdose.
Alvina Whitstone said she spoke to an official from the Edmonton medical examiner’s office on Thursday after she told Postmedia that she still had no news on how Myrah died 10 months after she was found.
But she — and police — still have questions about how Myrah Whitstone ended up abandoned almost 30 kilometres from where she was last seen.
Whitstone, 34, was last seen near 118 Avenue and 83 Street last March 23. According to police, Whitstone was seen speaking to a man in a Dodge Journey SUV.
Her body was found along Highway 16 the following day, about 30 kilometres away.
Last June, Strathcona County RCMP said they were seeking information about Whitstone’s death and released photos of both Whitstone and the vehicle in an effort to drum up tips.
Her death is not considered suspicious, but investigators said they want to establish where Whitstone was between 12:45 a.m. and 8 a.m. last March 24.
The police news release identified Whitstone as “Myrah (Murray) Whitstone, a trans woman … connected to the transgender community in Edmonton.” Alvina Whitstone said that around her, Myrah Whitstone lived as Murray. The two lived together at the mother’s home in north Edmonton.
Alvina Whitstone spoke to Postmedia last week, saying she was frustrated at the lack of information from the medical examiner. An RCMP spokesperson said investigators were also waiting on toxicology results.
On Thursday, Whitstone finally spoke to someone from the office of the chief medical examiner, who confirmed there was a mix of alcohol, cocaine, meth and cannabis in Myrah Whitstone’s system.
There was no sign of trauma on the body, Alvina Whitstone said, adding the medical examiner’s official did not know when exactly the death occurred. She said the official said they had been unable to reach her because her number had changed.
A spokesperson for the provincial government said she could not confirm Myrah Whitstone’s cause of death for privacy reasons.
Whitstone said she knew her child used drugs.
“I would tell him how much I loved him, how much it hurts me to see him getting dragged down by these addictions,” she said. “I used to always tell him, ‘Get help, get help, I’ll support you 100 per cent.’”
While knowing how her child died gives her some closure, Whitstone still has unanswered questions.
“Why would somebody go dump his body out there, 30 kilometres out of the city?” she said.
An RCMP spokesperson said the investigation is ongoing.