A 33-year-old Black trans man who was reported missing in Rochester two days before Christmas was found dead on Dec. 26, prompting an outpouring of grief from the local community in western New York.
Danny “Dusse” Siplin was reported missing on Dec. 23, according to Rochester police, and initial efforts to locate Siplin’s body with drones were unsuccessful. Rochester Police Captain Gregory Bello told Gay City News on Dec. 30 that Siplin’s body was found on the east side of the Genesee River Gorge near the 600 Block of St. Paul St. during a welfare check on the morning of Dec. 26.
“At this point in the investigation, there does not appear to be any criminal element to Siplin’s death,” Bello told Gay City News. “The circumstances remain under investigation and anyone with information is encouraged to call 911.”
The Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office did not immediately respond to Gay City News on the morning of Dec. 30.
Siplin’s mother, Tracy Riley, told News10NBC in Rochester that Siplin drove her to work every day at 5 a.m., but on Dec. 23, Siplin was not there. Riley called Siplin, who told her, “Ma, I just wanted to see the snow, you know I love the snow. I just wanted to take a ride. I’m coming across the bridge. I’ll be there in a little while.”
Siplin’s vehicle was found running on Upper Falls Bridge with Siplin’s wallet inside. It is not clear when the vehicle was located.
The news about Siplin’s death reverberated across Rochester’s LGBTQ community.
“Our sincere condolences go out to Danny’s mother, family and village,” the Avenue Blackbox Theatre, a creative healing space that uplifts the voices, ideas, and art of youth, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ and otherwise marginalized creatives, wrote on Facebook. “Very grateful to Shay who brought this truly special individual into our lives…though too brief, gone way too soon. Rest in love, Danny.”
Rochester LGBTQ+ Together, a volunteer-led LGBTQIA2S+ community org, providing education, socialization, and peer support, echoed the Avenue Blackbox Theatre’s sentiments.
“Rochester LGBTQ+ Together joins our community to mourn the passing of Danny ‘Dusse’ Siplin,” the organization wrote on Facebook. “We send our deepest condolences to his family and friends during this difficult time.”
