Latest news with #Grannell
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Transatlantic protests planned over police handling of drag queen's death
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — Friends and family of San Francisco drag queen Heklina will be gathering in London Monday to protest what they consider to be a lack of transparency from police concerning her death. It's been nearly two years since she was found dead in a London apartment by her friend Peaches Christ. Peaches Christ, the drag alter ego of filmmaker Joshua Grannell, is in the UK organizing the protest. Officers with the Metropolitan Police in London traveled to San Francsico last week to meet with Grannell. Police believe drugs were involved the night Heklina was found dead. Her friends, however, want more definite answers. Niantic lays off dozens at SF Ferry building office Next week will mark two years since Heklina's death. She and her friend Grannell were in London at the time getting ready to open their drag parody show, 'Mommy Queerest.' Grannell is back in London this week to organize a protest in memory of his friend. Supporters will gather beneath Big Ben Monday at 10 a.m. local time. 'We are protesting the London Metropolitan Police because of their ineptitude surrounding our dear friend Heklina's death and the case surrounding it,' Grannell said, 'and it's been two years since that occurred and we still don't have satisfactory answers at all.' Grannell said police didn't start to take Heklina's death seriously until they learned of her large fan base. Eventually, the Metropolitan Police released videos showing three men leaving Heklina's London apartment the night she was found dead. 'There's a camera trained at your apartment building, we were able to see when you left and when you came back,' Grannell said. 'Which means they've been sitting on that footage of those three guys for two years.' Grannell met with officers from London last week who traveled to California to update him that there was a lethal amount of drugs in Heklina's system. They wouldn't specify what type of drugs and when KRON 4 reached out to police, they responded saying the investigation is ongoing and it would be, 'inappropriate to more widely share further details.' It's details that Heklina's friends and family want, having already waited 24 months for answers. 'Very quickly revealed to me by my friends in the UK that there is a really negative relationship between the police and the queer community due to mistreatment of queer people,' said Grannell. Events for Heklina aren't just happening in London. There will also be a march Monday in San Francisco starting at 7:30 p.m. at 1123 Folsom Street to protest the Metropolitan Police in London. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Questions remain almost 2 years after popular San Francisco drag queen Heklina's death
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — It's been nearly two years since San Francisco drag queen Heklina was found dead in a London apartment. Police said there was no foul play, but her friends are now speaking out about their frustrations with a lack of answers. DUI DJ was going 90mph on Highway 101: SF DA When KRON4 News first spoke to Joshua Grannell in May of 2023, he was planning a giant celebration of life for his friend Heklina. Grannell, whose stage name is Peaches Christ, was in London with Heklina getting ready to premiere their show 'Mommie Queerest' at the Soho Theatre when he discovered his friend and co-star dead in their London apartment. It's been nearly two years and Grannell said the lack of transparency from police has reached its breaking point. 'Landed back in San Francisco and would reach out to them for updates,' said Grannell. 'We would be ignored quite frankly. The emails would just go unanswered and if we did get a response, it would be just almost nothing.' Weeks after the death, Grannell said he was told by the Metropolitan Police in London that there was no foul play suspected but has yet to receive an official cause of death. He said it wasn't until an investigative reporter from The Guardian reached out to police that video evidence was released of three men leaving Heklina's apartment April 3, 2023. 'For us to receive news almost two years later that they've known that three men were in that apartment hours before I found her dead is chilling and terrifying and beyond upsetting,' said Grannell. Grannell believes homophobia is the likely reason why Scotland Yard hasn't taken Heklina's case seriously and said he has heard of similar experiences from LGBTQ+ friends in the U.K. He said answers only seem to come from police when they learn about the fan following of Heklina and Peaches. 'I did not know that there was this rich horrible history of institutional homophobia within this police force,' said Grannell. He said he's spent two years in the dark and just wants answers and transparency from police because that's what Heklina's family, friends and fans have been waiting for. 'When people continuously come to me and say, 'just tell me how did she really die?' and I say, 'I don't know,' they don't believe me, and it's been awful,' said Grannell. Grannell is hoping that local and state politicians will put pressure on the U.S. Embassy in London to ask for answers from police about what happened to Heklina. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Met apology for friend who found drag artist dead
The Metropolitan Police force has apologised over its investigation into the death of an American drag artist in April 2023. Steven Grygelko, who performed under the name Heklina, was found dead at a flat in Soho, central London by his friend Joshua Grannell. Mr Grannell said he was "furious" it had taken almost two years for police to make a public appeal to find three men, who detectives say were at the flat hours before Mr Grygelko was discovered. In March 2023, a review by Baroness Casey into the force found institutional homophobia, racism and misogyny. Mr Grygelko, 55, and Mr Grannell had been staying in London preparing to put on a performance of their drag parody show Mommie Queerest at Soho Theatre. Detectives released CCTV footage last month of three men who may have "vital information" about what happened. Mr Grannell criticised the police for failing to keep him and Mr Grygelko's next of kin informed over the investigation. "When I left London they had assigned me with a family liaison officer. "They convinced me that we would be updated weekly, that we would be included in the process, that we would be informed of anything. "I got on that plane, and every email went unanswered for months and months. "They just completely ignored us." Mr Grannell said they had still had not been officially told the cause of Mr Grygelko's death, which is being treated as unexpected, and accused the Met of dismissing him and his friend as "trash". "I hate being the person who incorrectly would cry homophobia, if it's not homophobia. But they have left me no choice." Mr Grannell found his friend's body when he returned to their flat one morning and told officers he was "certain" that someone else had been there before he arrived. "The door was not only not locked, but it wasn't shut all the way. "I went to put my key in, and the door just opened." A Met spokesperson said "a number of enquiries" had been pursued before issuing the CCTV appeal. Det Ch Supt Christina Jessah said the force appreciated Mr Grygelko's next of kin "had been frustrated by the pace of the investigation" and lack of updates. She added: "We apologise and will be taking steps to correct this." She said officers were also continuing to speak to London's LGBT+ community to address wider safety concerns. The Met has been trying to improve confidence in policing following a number of scandals, including failures in the investigation into the serial killer Stephen Port. A number of reforms have since been made, including introducing new community liaison officers, but according to research published by the mayor's office for policing and crime, only 55% of LGBT+ respondents said that they trusted the Met, compared to 73% of those who did not identify as LGBT+. Mr Grannell, who performs as Peaches Christ, described his friend as a "trailblazer" who had opened the doors for many other drag artists. "Heklina was maybe one of the funniest people I've ever met. She was dark and hilarious and what she didn't want the world to know was that she was secretly kind. "Quietly behind the scenes, she was constantly helping people out. But the deal was you couldn't tell people." He said he had been constantly questioning what had happened to his friend. "The most nightmarish life-changing experience of my life has only been made infinitely worse by the Met Police." Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to The uneasy relationship between the police and Pride
BBC News
05-02-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Friend who found drag artist dead gets apology from Met Police
The Metropolitan Police force has apologised over its investigation into the death of an American drag artist in April Grygelko, who performed under the name Heklina, was found dead at a flat in Soho, central London by his friend Joshua Grannell said he was "furious" it had taken almost two years for police to make a public appeal to find three men, who detectives say were at the flat hours before Mr Grygelko was March 2023, a review by Baroness Casey into the force found institutional homophobia, racism and misogyny. Mr Grygelko, 55, and Mr Grannell had been staying in London preparing to put on a performance of their drag parody show Mommie Queerest at Soho released CCTV footage last month of three men who may have "vital information" about what Grannell criticised the police for failing to keep him and Mr Grygelko's next of kin informed over the investigation."When I left London they had assigned me with a family liaison officer."They convinced me that we would be updated weekly, that we would be included in the process, that we would be informed of anything."I got on that plane, and every email went unanswered for months and months. "They just completely ignored us."Mr Grannell said they had still had not been officially told the cause of Mr Grygelko's death, which is being treated as unexpected, and accused the Met of dismissing him and his friend as "trash"."I hate being the person who incorrectly would cry homophobia, if it's not homophobia. But they have left me no choice." Mr Grannell found his friend's body when he returned to their flat one morning and told officers he was "certain" that someone else had been there before he arrived."The door was not only not locked, but it wasn't shut all the way. "I went to put my key in, and the door just opened."A Met spokesperson said "a number of enquiries" had been pursued before issuing the CCTV Ch Supt Christina Jessah said the force appreciated Mr Grygelko's next of kin "had been frustrated by the pace of the investigation" and lack of added: "We apologise and will be taking steps to correct this."She said officers were also continuing to speak to London's LGBT+ community to address wider safety concerns. The Met has been trying to improve confidence in policing following a number of scandals, including failures in the investigation into the serial killer Stephen Port.A number of reforms have since been made, including introducing new community liaison officers, but according to research published by the mayor's office for policing and crime, only 55% of LGBT+ respondents said that they trusted the Met, compared to 73% of those who did not identify as LGBT+.Mr Grannell, who performs as Peaches Christ, described his friend as a "trailblazer" who had opened the doors for many other drag artists."Heklina was maybe one of the funniest people I've ever met. She was dark and hilarious and what she didn't want the world to know was that she was secretly kind. "Quietly behind the scenes, she was constantly helping people out. But the deal was you couldn't tell people."He said he had been constantly questioning what had happened to his friend."The most nightmarish life-changing experience of my life has only been made infinitely worse by the Met Police."
