Who was Elise Malary? Missing trans activist found dead in Lake Michigan

The body of a missing woman, identified as Elise Malary, was found near Lake Michigan in suburban Evanston on March 17.

The deceased 31-year-old was a transgender rights advocate, and was reported missing on March 11, as per the police.

Police said Malary was last seen at 700-block Hinman Avenue, two days earlier when she last contacted her family. According to police, her car was found late on March 15 at Hinman Avenue and South Boulevard.

Her family and friends began searching at Rogers Park near the border of Evanston on the day she was reported missing, including near the Howard Red Line stop after getting a tip that she had been seen with two men there.

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Who was Elise Malary, and what happened to her?

Elise Malary is an alum of the University of Illinois Chicago and used to volunteer with organizations such as Proud To Run Chicago. Aside from that, she was one of the founders of the Chicago Therapy Collective, an Andersonville-based organization that aims at reducing LGBTQIA+ health issues through the medium of education, advocacy, arts, and therapy.

As stated on her LinkedIn profile, Malary also worked at the Illinois Attorney General's Office.

In relation to her death case, Evanston police said that she was last seen near her house in Evanston, near the border of Rogers Park. Her car was discovered parked in a lot a few blocks on March 15 with no sign of where she might be.

She had reportedly left her apartment unlocked, but police have not found any evidence of foul play at her home or in her car.

According to police, Malary's body was found on the lakefront in the 500-Block section of Sheridan Square near Garden Park in Evanston around 4:30 PM on March 17.

One of the sources, named Ruth Lambach, revealed to ABC 7 Chicago that her 19-year-old grandson was roaming around with a friend on March 17 when he found the body.

"He saw the legs first, but he was - he was pretty shocked! And, I think he was stunned into silence for the next couple of days."

Tristan, who had been visiting Lambach from Switzerland, found Malary's body on his last day in the United States.

"Her head was evidently faced down in the water. I know Tristan told me she had socks on, and he couldn't understand that. Because, he was also, sort of, going through his mind and he didn't think it was a drowning. He thought maybe someone pushed her in, or maybe she accidentally fell in."

Police are yet to find out the cause of Elise Malary's death. As of now, her body has been sent to the coroner to identify the cause of her demise.

In 2019, Elise Malary organized a protest around Andersonville bookstore Women and Children First after anti-trans stickers appeared on its windows. She was set to receive a Transgender Visibility Award at the upcoming Chicago Trans Visibility Pageant organized by Life is Work, a West Side Social Services Agency that serves Black and Brown trans people.