Police in Kenya announced Edwin Chiloba’s body was discovered on Wednesday (Jan. 4). He was known as a prominent LGBTQ activist. In an article from today (Jan. 6), CBS News shared that his remains were “found stuffed in a metal box” on a road in Uasin Gishu County, west of the country.

Yesterday (Jan. 5), Kenyan nonprofit and human rights organization The Commission shared an Instagram post confirming the heartbreaking news. “Yesterday, Jan. 5, 2023, in the Kapsaret area of Uasin Gishu, the body of Edwin Chiloba, a well-known and celebrated fashion designer and model, was found discarded in a box and decomposing by the side of the road,” the message began. “Edwin was a loved and valued member of his community who used the platforms available to him to fight for what was right! This loathsome act comes as a blow to the LGBTIQ+ community and leaves us all reeling from shock!”

The post added that the hurt from his passing rivaled the manner in which it happened: “The murder itself was terrible, but the callous way his body was discarded makes the situation all the more mortifying! Edwin’s death reminds us that queer bodies continue to be under attack all over the country. NGLHRC grieves with the LGBTIQ+ community and joins the voices of all those agitating for fast and concrete action!” A taxi driver reportedly witnessed the box containing Chiloba’s body being dumped and alerted nearby police officers. The witness said the suspect’s vehicle did not have a license plate.

Chiloba’s remains were taken to the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital where medical staff will work to determine a cause of death. Police spokesperson Resila Onyango said they do not have a motive for the crime. “We don’t know for now why he was killed that way. Experts are handling the matter,” she shared.