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Transgender Teen Killed After Receiving Off-Market Silicone Butt Injections From a Former Escort

Symone Marie Jones was not the only victim of Kavonceya Iman Cornelius.

A North Carolina woman has been arrested after administering silicone injections that resulted in the death of a transgender teenager.

19-year-old Symone Marie Jones — born Eugene Jones — was completing the last cosmetic phases of her personal transition. Jones traveled from her home in Fayetteville to meet with Kavonceya Iman Cornelius, 42, in Salisbury.

During the January 5 visit, Jones received non-medical grade silicone injections in the buttocks from Cornelius, who does not have a medical degree. A few days after returning home, Jones died from silicone traveling through her blood to her lungs, reported Fox 46

Salisbury police only recently began the investigation into Jones’s death after receiving a report from another victim who claimed she received the same injections and faced terrifying health problems.

Kaniya Eboni Bernard told police that she also received silicone injections into her butt from another transgender woman in Salisbury who went by the name of "Kysha Wellington." Through their investigation, police learned Wellington was actually Cornelius.

Cornelius would allegedly charge between $500 and $1,200 each time depending on how much was injected.

Documents show that Bernard received 15 sessions of silicone injections from Cornelius. However, after her final injection in November, she started having severe breathing issues.  

After going to the hospital, Bernard was informed that silicone traveled from the injection site to her lungs. Doctors warned Bernard that she could have died.

Court documents show Bernard told police Cornelius was a sex worker or escort and had a profile on back page under the name "TS Cinnamon."

Cornelius was arrested on Monday, March 20. She is being held in the RC Detention Center where she faces second-degree murder charges. 

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