OK, I like where you're going with this, Watchman. So where does someone even find a transvestite 5-10 years ago?
If you're right about the connection, it's possible that the M.O. in this case was either Craigslist or AOL chat rooms (I'm saying AOL because it used to be called "GAY-OL" referring to the gay community that used the chat rooms to hook up). AOL was really popular 10 years ago, maybe even more than Craigslist for the alternative lifestyle crowd.
Ever since I heard that the victim was a man in woman's clothing, I assumed that what happened was someone tried hooking up with a transvestite and got totally freaked out and bashed their head in. There could definitely be a religious connection too in addition to a sexual orientation issue (i.e., a Catholic raised with the strong fear of going to hell, etc.). Maybe that's why now they kill fornicating "






".
I'd say the biggest, closest "alternative lifestyle" Asian population in Brooklyn or Queens, which is likely (IMO) where this victim came from.