Nearly four years after Tyvon Marco Henderson, the drag performer and content creator who entertained Chicago audiences as Lea Marie, was shot to death behind his West Garfield Park home, his family says their grief has hardened into determination. They host annual memorial gatherings, have created a small Lea Marie Legacy scholarship and have kicked in extra reward money, all in the hope that someone will finally talk. The case, dating back to July 28, 2022, remains unsolved, and relatives say every year without an arrest feels like the wound is ripped open again.
The night he was killed
Chicago police say Henderson, 25, was shot outside around 1:10 a.m. on the 4000 block of West Wilcox Street and later pronounced dead at Stroger Hospital, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. No one was taken into custody that night, and the killing remains an open homicide investigation.
Family response and scholarship
Henderson's mother, Latesha Thompson, told CBS Chicago that the family launched the Lea Marie Legacy Scholarship to honor his creativity and to lift up another young LGBTQ+ artist following a path similar to his. The $250 award is set aside for someone ages 16 to 24 who is pursuing fashion, beauty, music or other creative fields. Applicants are asked to email an essay to [email protected], and the family plans to announce the winner at Task Force Prevention and Community Services on Sept. 20, which would have been Henderson’s 30th birthday.
Thompson described daily life since her son’s death as “a struggle every day,” in her comments to CBS, and the family says they have added $5,000 of their own money to a reward offered by Cook County Crime Stoppers in an effort to shake loose any information that might finally move the case forward.
Lea Marie's work and community
Friends and relatives say Henderson built a loyal following both online and in Chicago’s drag scene under the name Lea Marie, juggling a full-time job with content creation and live performances, as reported by ABC7 Chicago. Family members describe him as a driven young artist who dreamed of performing on television and growing his creative career well beyond local stages.
His connection to an Austin neighborhood center that supports LGBTQ+ residents helped shape the family’s decision to base the scholarship in the community, keeping his name tied to the same local spaces that helped him find his footing.
Reward, tips and next steps
Cook County Crime Stoppers has offered up to $10,000 for information in the case, and the family says they have added $5,000 more, bringing the total available reward to $15,000, as previously reported by CBS Chicago. Tips can be submitted to Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-535-STOP (7867), through CPDTIP.com, or by emailing [email protected], according to that report.
The family says two new detectives have been assigned to Henderson’s case. They are holding out hope that the combination of a growing reward, renewed investigative attention and the visibility of the scholarship will finally persuade someone with information to step forward and help bring Lea Marie’s killer to justice.
