Navy seaman accused in transgender woman’s killing was studying to be forecaster

A Navy seaman accused in the murder of a transgender woman over the weekend was at Keesler Air Force Base studying to be a weather forecaster, Navy officials said.

Dwanya Hickerson, 20, enlisted in the Navy in Georgia on Sept. 15, 2015, and enrolled in the weather forecaster apprentice course, Lt. Cmdr. Kate Meadows of the Naval Education Affairs and Training Command said Tuesday.

After enlisting, the New Orleans native was assigned to the Naval Aviation Technical Training Unit. To enlist, each candidate goes through a background check, though Meadows said she could not elaborate. However, Jackson County Sheriff’s Capt. Chis Stratton said Hickerson had no known criminal history.

For now, Meadows said, Hickerson is considered an active-duty sailor, though that could change depending on the the results of an internal investigation by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. The investigation has already began, she said, and could result in his discharge.

“The Navy will look at the case and NCIS will look at the case and the Navy will decide how to move forward,” Meadows said.

The killing

Hickerson was jailed Monday in Jackson County on a charge of capital murder. He is accused of the Saturday night robbery and stabbing death of Dee “DJ” Whigham, a 25-year-old transgender woman and registered nurse with a promising career at Forrest General Hospital in Hattiesburg.

According to authorities, Whigham, a resident of Shubuta, was in town with friends and co-workers to attend the Gulf Coast Black Rodeo.

On Saturday night, a friend found Whigham stabbed to death in the room she was sharing with friends at the Best Western hotel in St. Martin and alerted authorities.

A hotel surveillance photo captured images of a man, later identified as Hickerson, walking in a hallway at the hotel at 8:35 p.m. Saturday. He was wearing a green shirt and carrying a backpack. At 8:58 p.m., another photo captured him leaving, but his shirt was off and hanging around his neck.

Hickerson is scheduled for an initial court appearance at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday in Jackson County Court. An autopsy is being conducted Tuesday afternoon.

Meanwhile, two candlelight vigils, one Tuesday night in Hattiesburg and another 7 p.m. Wednesday at Lighthouse Community Church in Biloxi, are planned to remember Whigham.

Military training

Prior to landing at Keesler, Hickerson underwent military training in various stages.

After his enlistment in September 2015, Meadows said, Hickerson was assigned to the Naval Aviation Training Unit.

First, she said, he attended an eight-week boot camp to learn about being a sailor, she said, which includes training in academic and physical agility. The physical demands usually include recruits performing exercises such as situps, pushups and running.

The academic program can include courses in Navy history and other aspects of life as a sailor.

Hickerson graduated from the boot camp in Great Lakes, Ill., Meadows said, in November 2015, then attended the Surface Warfare Officers School, also in Great Lakes.

Hickerson completed the Surface Warfare Officer School in April and was assigned to Keesler to undergo studies to be a meteorologist in the Navy.

He was expected to complete that training by the end of the summer, she said.

Military probe

When Navy officials learned of Hickerson’s alleged involvement in a murder, Meadows said, the NCIS started its own investigation in conjunction with working with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department on its ongoing investigation.

“This is a very tragic incident and our prayers and our thoughts are with both the families involved,” Meadows said.

For now, Meadows said, NCIS is providing any assistance Jackson County needs with its ongoing investigation while continuing the internal probe on Hickerson.

“The Navy will decide how to move forward,” Meadows said. She expects a decision about Hickerson’s status in the Navy will be decided in the coming days.

This story was originally published July 26, 2016 at 1:21 PM with the headline "Navy seaman accused in transgender woman’s killing was studying to be forecaster."