Norah Horwitz, a transgender drag queen from Oregon awaiting trial in Virginia for the murder of Horwitz’s father, died by suicide in jail on Sunday, according to a press release from the Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office.
Horwitz, 38, born Michael Aaron Horwitz, was found unresponsive during a routine security check around 6 pm on April 6. Horwitz was scheduled to go to trial in July on second-degree murder charges.
A deputy discovered Horwitz’s body in a jail cell and contacted medical staff, who conducted CPR until medics arrived. However, Horwitz was declared dead shortly after. The Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office labeled the death as a suicide, but the medical examiner’s office will determine the official cause of death.
Update: Trans activist and former Portland drag queen Michael Aaron “Norah” Horowitz committed s—icide on April 6, 2025 in Virginia Beach, Va. while awaiting trial for murder in July. Horowitz admitted to stabbing his father to death, claiming it was self defense and revenge for… https://t.co/xIsKLCNYGS
— Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) April 8, 2025
Horwitz was accused of killing 68-year-old Abby Horwitz, a prominent dentist in Great Neck Square, at the family’s waterfront home in Virginia Beach in June 2023.