Essie Graham : “Slain NYC Woman Lived with Suspect in Wheelchair”

The grandmother of the woman whose decomposing body was found wrapped in a sleeping bag and dumped in the trash outside a Manhattan apartment building had been expressing concerns about the man her granddaughter was living with for months. Essie Graham, the grandmother, had a strong intuition that something was not right with the man, who is now facing charges for concealing the victim’s corpse.

Graham shared, “I could feel it. I kept saying, ‘She needs to get out of that house.’ I wanted someone to go over there and make a lot of noise. But nobody really took it seriously.”

Chad Irish Charged with Concealment of Corpse

Chad Irish, a 55-year-old ex-convict, has been charged with concealing a human corpse after being identified as the man in a motorized wheelchair seen on video leaving the body next to trash bags outside an apartment building in Kips Bay. The police are conducting ballistics tests on a gun found in Irish’s possession to determine if it was the weapon used to shoot the victim, Yazmeen Williams, in the head.

Irish was physically attacked by a mob as he was being taken into custody by the police. The incident took place outside his apartment building on E. 28th St. near Second Ave.

Concerns Raised by Grandmother

Williams had moved out of her grandmother’s home and into Irish’s apartment just a few blocks away. Graham had started to worry about her granddaughter’s safety as she believed Williams was in a relationship with Irish.

Graham recalled, “She always said that he was her friend. I think because she knew I wouldn’t approve.”

Tragic Discovery

Williams’ body was discovered in a state of advanced decomposition, initially making it difficult for the police to determine the victim’s gender. It was later confirmed that Williams had died from a gunshot wound to the head, described by the Medical Examiner as being at close range.

Williams had recently informed her grandmother that she was planning to move back home, but unfortunately, this decision came too late. Graham had been sending her grandson to check on Williams regularly as she had a persistent feeling that something was amiss.

Emotional Response

Graham expressed her deep sorrow over the loss of her granddaughter, stating, “My heart is broken and it’s never gonna be healed.” She highlighted Williams’ upcoming job at a Manhattan courthouse and emphasised her pride in her granddaughter’s achievements and kind-hearted nature.

Williams’ life was tragically cut short, leaving her family devastated and grappling with the loss of a promising young woman.