FBI and Columbus Police Treat Disappearance of Black Transgender Woman as Homicide

Devin “Sacoya” Cooper, 33, a Black transgender woman who used the name Sacoya, is being treated as the victim of foul play by the Columbus Division of Police and the FBI, investigators say. Detectives and federal agents have reopened the case with federal resources after the unoccupied black 2009 Ford Fusion she was driving was located and processed by police in October 2021.

Investigators say Cooper was last seen leaving her north-side Columbus residence to go to a nearby convenience store. Det. Chuck Radich said, "Ms. Cooper was last seen leaving her residence on the north side of Columbus on August 31, 2021, at which time, she was headed to the store the convenience store. She never returned home that night." Official statements from law enforcement list approximately 11:30 p.m. as the last confirmed time on August 31, 2021, while a friend has said Cooper called at 3 a.m. that night and some local accounts referenced an afternoon sighting near Webber Road and Cleveland Avenue; those timing discrepancies remain unresolved in the public record. Cooper was driving a black four-door 2009 Ford Fusion at the time she disappeared.

The Fusion was recovered on Columbus’s west side in October 2021 and was processed by detectives, who say they gathered evidence but have not released specifics while the investigation remains active. The vehicle was not displaying Cooper’s original Ohio license plate when located; the original plate has been reported as GJP9303. Local authorities used a license-plate-reader system to locate the vehicle, and police documentation shows the car was forensically processed, though investigators have declined to elaborate on the items recovered or the results of lab work.

Family and friends have pressed for answers. Cooper’s biological mother asked for help finding closure, saying, "If anybody knows anything please, please call the police department, we’re waiting on your call we’re waiting on some kind of closure." A partner, identified as Richard Harris by local reporting, and an unnamed friend who says Cooper called at 3 a.m. urged filing of a missing persons report after Cooper disappeared. Friends and neighbors in the North Linden area have been involved with searches and outreach since Cooper was reported missing to Columbus police on Sept. 1, 2021.

The FBI’s Cincinnati Field Office has joined the investigation and is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to Cooper’s location. Central Ohio Crime Stoppers is also offering up to $10,000 in partnership with Columbus police and the FBI. Sgt. James Fuqua of the Columbus Division of Police asked for public assistance, saying, "We’re basically looking for information that anyone has on Devin's whereabouts and her disappearance. If you have any of that information you need to contact Columbus Police's Missing Persons Unit at 614-645-4280."

Investigators emphasize that the case is active and no arrests or charges have been announced. Tips can be submitted to the Columbus Division of Police Missing Persons Unit at 614-645-4280, the Columbus police general line at 614-645-4545, or Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 614-461-8477. The FBI asks that anyone with information contact the Cincinnati Field Office or submit a tip through the FBI tip portal.