Who Was Brianna Ghey? UK Transgirl's Teen Killers Sentenced To Life

In a landmark ruling, the murderers of Brianna Ghey, a 16-year-old transgirl, were sentenced to life in prison for an “exceptionally brutal” killing. Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe were only 15 years old when they committed the crime last year, reportedly motivated by Ghey's transgender identity. Judges described Jenkinson as the “driving force” behind the murder, deemed by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) as “one of the most disturbing cases” their lawyers had ever dealt with. She was sentenced to a minimum of 22 years in prison. Meanwhile, Ratcliffe was given 20 years.

Jenkinson had earlier pleaded not guilty to the murder and placed the blame on Ratcliffe. However, Justice Yip of the Manchester Crown Court said that she was motivated by a "deep desire to kill." Jenkinson had reportedly written a new “kill list” since her detention, which included the names of some of her carers, the court heard. To both defendants, the judge said: “You picked Brianna because you both thought she would be an easy target.”

Brianna Ghey Murder

On February 11, 2023, Brianna Ghey, a 16-year-old transgender girl was stabbed to death in Culcheth Linear Park in Culcheth, United Kingdom, by her friend Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe. Ghey's body was found with multiple deep wounds that afternoon by passersby. A post-mortem examination found that she had been stabbed 28 times, across her head, neck, chest, and back.

The killer duo was arrested the next day and convicted of murder on 20 December 2023. On February 2 this year, Jenkinson and Ratcliffe were sentenced to life imprisonment after the court decided the offence was motivated by hate and sadistic tendencies. The court also noted that the murder involved a significant degree of planning, with Jenkinson as the mastermind.

Who Was Brianna Ghey?

After the arrest, Ghey's parents expressed the profound pain of losing their daughter. Ghey's mother Esther said in court, "(Brianna) was an extremely vulnerable teenager." Recalling the day of the murder, Esther Ghey said that she was so happy that her daughter had found a friend in Jenkinson.

She said, "I thought that she would have a wonderful time, hanging around with her friend and getting some fresh air when all that time she was being lured to her death. All I can think about is that she would have been scared and I wasn’t there for her. She needed me to protect her, Brianna wasn’t a fighter and she must have been so terrified."

Brianna Ghey's parents describe her as "a larger-than-life character who would leave a lasting impression on all that met her." She was also a transgender rights activist and supporter. Her friends recalled that she used to help other transgender girls get the support and medical aid that they needed.

The Class 11 student at Birchwood Community High School also had a (now deleted) TikTok account with thousands of followers who admired her. However, her friends recall her being the target of bullying and transphobia as well. One of her final TikToks said that she was "excluded from school".

Brianna Ghey's murder made headlines and sparked much outrage on social media. A TikTok account to raise awareness and a GoFundMe (crowdfunding) page was set up by her friends to support her family. The TikTok account garnered 36,000 followers and GoFundMe raised £70,000 in three days. The murder was remembered across the world as a gruesome reminder of the hatred faced by transgender people.