Suspect charged with murder – NBC New York

The man previously arrested for his role in the death of a woman whose body was found in a sleeping bag on a Manhattan sidewalk with a gunshot wound to the head is now facing another charge: murder.

Chad Irish was arrested Monday and initially charged with concealing a human corpse after 31-year-old Yazmeen Williams was found dead Friday after being dumped along with other trash on a sidewalk on East 27th Street in Kips Bay for garbage collection. On Tuesday, prosecutors added additional charges: second-degree murder and possession of a weapon, according to police.

The 55-year-old Irishman is also accused of threatening and illegal possession of weapons in another case, the NYPD said. He was released on parole in 2022 after being convicted of robbery. And it’s not the first time he’s been charged with murder: Investigators said he allegedly blew up a house in 1994 when his uncle went inside.

Williams’ death was ruled a homicide. It is not clear how long her body had been in the sleeping bag before the gruesome discovery.

Videos and photos shared on social media show what appears to be a life-sized body wrapped in a dark sleeping bag, which is also wrapped in black garbage bags. Sources told NBC New York that surveillance video shows a person in a power wheelchair pulling the sleeping bag behind them.

On Monday, crowds attempted to attack Irish as he was being arrested in connection with Williams’ death. Police and paramedics held back the mob of dozens as punches were thrown while others spat at him. Tensions were high until the man was bundled into an ambulance and taken to a nearby hospital.

“How inhumane – you drag someone’s daughter down the block,” New York Mayor Eric Adams said at a press conference on Tuesday. “He’s lucky the police caught him first. He’s lucky the police caught him first.”

The victim’s mother, Nicole Williams, was there when he was taken away.

“He’s disgusting… he looks like scum,” Williams said. “They were angry. He… threw my daughter in a garbage bag.”

Information about the man’s lawyer was not available.