EP34/ UNSOLVED MURDER - Armani D Morgan

 HANDS OFF MY PODCAST: TRUE CRIME

Armani D. Morgan 02/23/23

EP34/ HOM PODCAST RECORDING / JASMINE CASTILLO 

I had the honor of speaking with Robin Johnson, who has been speaking out the injustice and undercoverage of her nephew, Armani Dante Morgan. Armani, was assaulted by a close female associate in May 2017, and a month later, he vanished. His story of his life prior to being muffled in news and media because this was a way for his death to be silenced and questioned by the public. 

This is Armani Morgan’s Story….

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INTRO:

Due to the lack of coverage on Armani’s case, according to his aunt, Robin, was identifying as a gay man at the time of his disappearance and suspicious death, though he often dressed in feminine clothing and was known to carry a purse, leading media outlets to identify him as a transgender woman.

The same error was in identifying Tiffany Thomas, 38, who was found shot to death early Saturday morning, April 24, at a car wash at 7171 American Way, near Red Bird Mall in Dallas. Although Armani and Tiffany were presenting as female at the time of their death police showed them presenting as female, and family members told police both didn’t identify as female. They were bunched in with the Transgender Murders anyway. 

Who is Armani?

Armani had a unique chuckle. 

Armani was a loving, caring, funny, and creative person who loved fashion, styling hair, and cooking. Armani loved love and he loved being able to express himself thru fashion and was highly skilled in the kitchen preparing meals from scratch.

Armani often discussed being self-employed as a beautician and a personal stylist because he absolutely loved fashion.

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Armani was always joyful but he was most joyful during the holidays especially the month of December because he also shared the same birthday with one of his female cousins (my oldest daughter) who also looked forward to the fact that Armani and my daughter both would receive birthday and Christmas gifts due their birthdays always occurring six days before Christmas each year.

Funny stories about the times spent with Armani ( Armani always challenge my youngest daughter who Armani had a very close relationship with) to a dance off because they both loved any and all of Michael Jackson’s music. Not only that once my two daughters and I moved away from the family home Armani would always manage to convince his mother to let him spend the night at my home (during school week as well as weekends)

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Armani would love to tell childhood stories about his time spent fishing with my dad (who was the only male father figure in Armani’s life) prior to my dad’s passing in 1999.

The major changes to Armani’s life that affected him in big ways (the passing of both my parents) my dad was the only father figure in Armani’s life not to mention that Armani was my mother’s first grandson within our immediate family which created a special bond between the two of them prior to my mother’s passing.

Armani never got over the fact that he was incarcerated for a petty crime at the time of my mother’s funeral in 2011 at which time Armani wasn’t able to attend my mother’s funeral which affected Armani in a big way.

About Morgan's Family:

Armani’s biological father was never a part of his life, which caused Armani to look for love in all the wrong places (no good associates) and a physically violent same-sex partner (until Armani decided to break off the violent relationship shortly before his 6/3/2017 sudden disappearance).

When Armani came out to us/his family, we still addressed Armani as “ he ” – simply because for a while until Armani became comfortable enough in his own skin (he would often dress as a male during the day and would then dress as a female at night) until he became comfortable in his own skin to begin dressing in female clothing more often prior to his sudden disappearance and tragic death.  Armani would dress as a female around individuals whom he felt safe to be in their presence as a gay male throughout the time he was becoming comfortable and confident enough to begin wearing female clothing and a wig on a regular basis.

Armani valued love and family most in life, especially due to the fact that he was an only child not to mention the fact that Armani was the first male (grandson, cousin & nephew) in the immediate family/household full of women (grandmother), three female cousins and three aunts, last but not least two uncles. Armani valued love and family most in life because a relationship with Armani’s biological father was non-existent from birth.

The first study of its kind found that people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer or gender non-confirming are nearly four times as likely to be victims of violent crime than those outside such communities.

LGBTQ people and gender minorities are disproportionately affected by crime, the study published in Science Advances, a multidisciplinary journal, on Friday looked at data that has only been collected since 2016 experienced a rate of 71.1 violent victimizations per 1,000 persons a year, compared with 19.2 per 1,000 a year among non-sexual and gender minorities. For example, researchers found that such a population is much more likely to be victimized by someone they know well than a person who is a non-sexual and gender minority. 

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/study-finds-lgbtq-people-much-likelier-to-be-crime-victims 

What Leads Up to the Murder?

On May 31, 2017, while living with his mother, someone shot into Armani’s mother’s apartment. An unknown person identified as Sabrina in the police report fired a single shot which broke a window. According to Robin Johnson, Armani's aunt, when Armani and his mother exited the home after the shot was fired, Armani was attacked by "a close female associate and her teenage daughter". A short time later, Dallas Crime Scene analysts arrived at Royal Crest Apartments. The bullet that was fired was sitting on the dining room table in a plastic bag and taken for evidence.

A few days later on June 3, 2017, Armani was last seen in Dallas, Texas. Armani's skeletal remains were found in a field on the east side of Dallas on July 24, 2017. Some clothing, a purse, with a phone number inside, was also discovered near the remains. The phone number belonged to someone dating one of Armani’s friends. Law enforcement originally believed that Armani died of a drug overdose, but they were unable to determine an official cause of death, leading them to continue their investigation into his death.

Prior to Armani’s sudden disappearance he decided that he no longer wanted to remain in the same-sex relationship with this individual as a direct result of increased physical violence once Armani decided to end the same-sex relationship with the male who is also suspected of having some involvement in Armani’s sudden disappearance and tragic death.

Armani’s same-sex partner hid his same-sex relationship with Armani from (his live-in-girlfriend and immediate family members). Armani’s same-sex partner denied being in a same-sex relationship with Armani to Dallas Homicide Detectives as well during Nov. 2017 Dallas County jailhouse interview (although those close to Armani are all well aware of the same-sex relationship) between the two men.

There are 3 perpetrators suspected of having involvement in Armani’s sudden disappearance and tragic death:

Female perpetrator who relentlessly pursued Armani on 3 separate occasions prior to his sudden disappearance and gruesome death.

Female perpetrator shot into Armani and his mother/my sister’s apartment on May 31, 2017 three days before Armani suddenly disappeared.

May 31, 2017 gun bullet was submitted to crime lab June 28, 2019 in hopes of linking biological DNA to female perpetrator and the gun bullet.

Female perpetrator violently assaulted Armani right outside his front door seconds after gun bullet pierced thru Armani’s living room window.

On June 3, 2017 female perpetrator aided by a deceased co-perpetrator violently assaulted Armani which is/was the day Armani was last seen alive.   

same-sex partner who was remanded to State Prison (end of 2017) on unrelated assault charges as a direct result of my written request to DA.

Male co-perpetrator who aided female perpetrator in violently assaulting Armani on 6/3/2017 the day Armani was last seen alive after the violent attack.

A male co-perpetrator was shot and killed Nov. 2019 while committing additional crimes in and around the City of Dallas, Tx.

One thing all 3 perpetrators had in common, they all knew one another (they all violently assaulted Armani) prior to his sudden disappearance.

I haven’t had time to properly grieve as a direct result of constant frustrating battle w/Dallas Police Dept. as a whole including Dallas Homicide and Cold Case Detectives in an attempt to get law enforcement to put forth honest effort to actively pursue and investigate Armani’s sudden disappearance and gruesome death.

Not to mention the fact that I’ve also had to deal with the initial lead Homicide Detective bias, discrimination and predetermined theory about Armani as a gay black male with a prior arrest history, having lived in an impoverished neighborhood raised by a financially challenged single mother (the initial lead homicide detective’s bias, discrimination & predetermined theory has negatively impacted Armani’s case from the outset) unfortunately, I have remained unsuccessful in my attempt to obtain legal representation involving the detective’s bias, discrimination and predetermined theory about Armani and his manner of death (verses the homicide detective’s predetermined theory that Armani OD’d) in the vacant field where 6 of Armani’s skeletonized remains were unexpectedly discovered on July 24, 2017.

One of many appalling things that I and Armani’s mother has had to endure throughout this entire nightmare:

On Nov. 8, 2017 shortly after Armani’s graveside ceremony in the pouring rain – Armani’s mother and I attended initial pre-scheduled face to face meeting w/the initial lead Homicide Detective at Police Headquarters (this meeting took place within 17 days of the lead detective being assigned) to Armani’s case ( I said that to say this) on Nov. 8, 2017 immediately following Armani’s graveside ceremony the initial lead Homicide Detective sat across the conference room table from myself and Armani’s mother looking us both in the face (told us that Armani OD’d in the vacant field) where Armani’s remains were discovered without the homicide detective having made any true effort to actively pursue and investigate Armani’s case before allowing such foul and disrespectful words to roll of his tongue that day (Armani’s mother and I were appalled to say the least) it goes without saying that the lead detective’s bias and discrimination towards Armani as a gay black male with a prior arrest history had a negative impact on Armani’s case from the outset together with the lead detective’s predetermined theory about Armani’s manner of death which led the homicide detective to (falsely state that his personal opinion is/was that Armani OD’d in the vacant field) underneath a bush near a huge tree line  where 6 of Armani’s badly decomposed remains were unexpectedly discovered by a 911 caller 7/24/2017 (Armani’s skeletal remains were discovered a few feet away from his residence– seven weeks after Armani was shot at while inside his residence 5/31/2017 and was also violently assaulted by female perpetrator and her young daughter a few seconds after 5/31/2017 shooting incident by evidence of brief cell phone video –

in addition to female perpetrator and deceased male perpetrator violently assaulting Armani on June 3, 2017 last day Armani was last seen alive.

Any Updates?

The family of Armani D. Morgan, from Dallas,TX is desperately seeking the public's help.

Any prior reference to Armani was always referred to when local news and law enforcement mentioned skeletal remains found in a field lumped together during local news stories about transgender deaths that occurred within the City of Dallas after Armani’s 2017 sudden disappearance and the unexpected discovery of his tragic death in July 2017 (for instance skeletal remains found in a field back in 2017) but no mention of Armani’s name by law enforcement nor the local news media nor where any facts regarding events leading up to and surrounding Armani’s disappearance and gruesome death share with the public by local news media during April 2019 nation wide televised publicity involving violent assault against transgender female Muhlaysia Booker in the exact same apartment complex where Armani lived prior to his disappearance and tragic death – nor any mention of Armani’s name only reference made regarding 2017 skeletal remains being found in a field after transgender female Muhlaysia Booker was found murdered May 2019 in the City of Dallas.

Aug. 2021 MTV True Crime aired a documentary surrounding the events leading up to Muhlaysia Booker’s April 2019 violent attack and May 2019 murder which the MTV True Crime episode made brief reference to skeletal remains being found in a vacant field in 2017 as well as the MTV True Crime episode featuring one of Armani’s county jail mug shots but no mention of Armani’s name nor any details about Armani’s disappearance and tragic death.

Same thing regarding no prior reference being made about Armani’s sudden disappearance and gruesome death in none of our local newspapers due to the homicide detective’s bias, discrimination, and predetermined theory about Armani as a gay black male with a prior arrest history which negatively impacted Armani’s case from the outset (as you can see due to no mention of Armani’s disappearance and tragic death via local media).

Today, Armani’s case has continued to go unsolved, even cold, for the past five years. Armani’s aunt, Robin, has continued to fight not only for answers in Armani’s case, but also for the media to cover his story in hopes of finding those answers.

The family is devastated and heartbroken as they continue grieving Armani’s tragic death. They love and miss Armani’s beautiful smile. It’s still extremely painful and upsetting that they never got the opportunity to see Armani and say a proper goodbye because his body was skeletonized. Law enforcement has falsely insinuated that Armani’s death was an accident but his family is pleading for help to get answers about his gruesome death. If someone knows something, please say something.

If you have any information regarding Armani’s case, please contact the Dallas Police Department’s Special Investigations Unit at (214) 671-3677 or North Texas Crime Stoppers at (877) 373-TIPS (8477). You can also submit your tip anonymously through their online tip form.