Chad Irish, a 55-year-old ex-convict with a lengthy criminal history, has been arrested and charged in connection with the death of Yazmeen Williams, a 31-year-old woman whose body was found wrapped in a sleeping bag and discarded with trash in Manhattan’s Kips Bay neighborhood.
Irish faces charges of concealment of a human corpse, criminal possession of a weapon, and menacing. However, he has not been charged with Williams’ murder at this time. The victim’s body was discovered late Friday, and her death was ruled a homicide after an autopsy revealed she had been shot in the head.
Irish reportedly came to the attention of law enforcement after he was allegedly seen using an electric wheelchair to drag a sleeping bag, which is believed to have contained Yazmeen Williams’ body. His criminal history includes a conviction for attempted arson in 1994, for which he served three years in prison.
As police escorted Irish from the Straus Houses NYCHA complex, dozens of angry locals confronted him. The victim’s mother, Nicole Williams, was among those present during the chaotic scene.
Mayor Eric Adams condemned the crime, stating,
“How inhumane you are dragging down the block somebody’s daughter. He should be lucky that the police got him before that community.”
Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer revealed that Williams was set to begin a job with the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development this week.
The investigation is still ongoing, and police are working to determine if the murder occurred in Irish’s apartment. Sources indicate that Irish is considered a prime suspect in Yazmeen Williams’ death, though additional charges may be forthcoming as the investigation progresses.
The community has set up a makeshift memorial near the site where Williams’ body was found, with friends and family remembering her as a caring and energetic person who had recently earned a degree in criminal justice and aspired to become a lawyer.
