Venezuelan drag queen, 35, murdered in Zaandam; Motive not yet known
The LGBTQIA+ community and residents of the asylum shelter in Hoogeveen, Drenthe, are shocked by the death of 35-year-old William Caseres, also known as drag queen Alyssa. The refugee from Venezuela was found murdered in his home on Hogendijk in Zaandam during the early hours of Monday, January 20. An investigation into the motive is ongoing, police said.
Caseres fled to the Netherlands two years ago. Venezuela isn’t known for its human rights and Caseres and other members of the LGBTQIA+ community systematically face discrimination. His asylum application was approved in November. While waiting for suitable housing, he rented a room on Hogendijk in Zaandam a week before his murder. That is where his body was found.
Police said they were tipped off about a possible dead person in the home at 1:30 a.m. A forensic investigation was launched from a mobile command center. "The victim was Spanish and English speaking. It is also known that the man regularly performed as a drag queen," police confirmed.
As a drag queen, Alyssa was “really good,” according to Sandro Kortekaas, chairman of the LGBT Asylum Support Foundation and an acquaintance of Caseres, told RTL Nieuws. “I once stood next to him when William transformed into Aylssa. The way he painted himself was an art in itself. It was a complete metamorphosis. William was calm and quiet. As a drag queen, he really came to life.”
He was really talented, Kortekaas said. “That is evident from how quickly he managed to build a network in the world, He quickly became one of the best drag queens. You need quite a few qualities for that.”
“He only received his refugee status two months ago and then this,” Kortekaas said to NH Nieuws. The impact in the asylum center is enormous, he added. “How is this possible?”
The police believe Caseres was murdered sometime between 8 p.m. on Friday, January 17, and 1:30 a.m. on Monday, January 20th. Investigators asked witnesses or anyone with relevant information to come forward.
In the meantime, a fundraiser was launched to provide assistance to Caseres's sister, which raised over 10,300 euros as of Tuesday afternoon. Organizers hope to help the woman fly from Colombia to the Netherlands so she can identify the body. His friends and colleagues also want to organize a memorial in Amsterdam on the victim's behalf.