Change of Venue Granted in Transgender Murder Trial

A judge has granted a change of venue for a suspect in the slaying of a transgender teen.

Court records show that the first-degree murder case against Andrew Vrba was transferred Monday to Greene County.

Vrba is charged with killing 17-year-old Ally Steinfeld in neighboring Dallas County. The case previously was moved to Crawford County.

Steinfield, whose eyes were gouged out and her body set on fire, had been missing for weeks when her burned remains were found in September 2017 in the town of Cabool, a rural area about 70 miles east of Springfield. Two others have been sentenced in the case, and a fourth person is awaiting trial.

Authorities say the crime wasn’t motivated by Steinfeld’s gender identity.