Dee Whigham was a 25-year-old RN from Shubata, MS. Whigham worked at Forrest General Hospital in Hattiesburg.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Dee Whigham as they try to make sense of this terrible tragedy. She will be remembered at Forrest Health as an excellent nurse who was well-loved by her patients. I know Dee will be missed by her co-workers, supervisors, and the Forrest Health family.

--Evan Dillard, Forrest Health

Dee journeyed south with friends last weekend to attend the 7th Annual Gulf Coast Black Rodeo which was taking place in Biloxi. Dee and her friends checked in to the Best Western Plus Cypress Springs in St. Martin.

Saturday night Dee was found stabbed to death in their hotel room....Room 127.

An autopsy is pending. Investigation continues.

The sheriff initially identified the victim as a man, but Whigham’s sisters told the Sun Herald she was a transgender woman who had not had sexual reassignment surgery.

The manager of the hotel said the staff didn’t know a homicide had occurred on the property until patrol cars and fire trucks rolled up Saturday night.

We didn’t know it had happened and we don’t know anything about it now.

The police came in, they took what they needed and they left. We cooperated.

--San Naqvi, hotel manager

Time stamps on surveillance pictures released by the sheriff indicate the killing could have happened just after 8:35 p.m. A man wanted for questioning is shown in a hallway wearing a green shirt. He was carrying a back pack. At 8:58 p.m., another picture shows the same man leaving, but his shirt was off and hanging around his neck.

Dwanya Hickerson, 20 of New Orleans and Keesler Air Force Base was arrested Monday morning and charged with capital murder. Officials at Keelser were quick to point out Hickerson was not an airman, but rather a navy sailor on training assignment.

Everything just hit me and I started crying and couldn’t do anything but cry.

He was a really nice person who had no hatred in his heart.

It was too early for anyone like that to go.

--Malisha Whigham, cousin

There will be a vigil tonight at 7pm at the Spectrum Center in Hattiesburg.

A GoFundMe campaign has been established to help defray funeral expenses.