A woman was found dead in a sleeping bag among trash in Manhattan. Chilling footage has now led to an arrest

Surveillance video had captured a man in an electric wheelchair dragging Zameen Williams’ body to the spot where it was left among the trash

Lilith Foster-Collins
Tuesday 09 July 2024 15:06 BST
Murdered woman’s body found in a sleeping bag among trash in NYC

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

A person of interest has been arrested after a woman’s body was found dumped in a sleeping bag among trash bags in a Manhattan street.

Zameen Williams, 31, was shot in the head before being wrapped in a plastic bag and put in a sleeping bag, according to the NYPD. Her body was discovered on Friday.

Surveillance video had captured a man in an electric wheelchair dragging her body to the spot where it was left among the trash.

Three days on, Chad Irish, a 55-year-old man from the Bronx, was arrested in connection to the case.

He has been charged with concealment of a human corpse, criminal possession of a weapon and menacing.

Video obtained by The New York Post shows officers bringing Irish from his home on Monday, handcuffed to a gurney, while a crowd yelled “murderer” at him.

Officers sought to keep the crowd back, but they surged forward and hit the man.

Williams’ devastated mother, Nicole Williams, was among the crowd of people gathered, and was heard shouting: “You killed my daughter.”

Zameen Williams, 31, was shot in the head before being wrapped in a plastic bag and put in a sleeping bag
Zameen Williams, 31, was shot in the head before being wrapped in a plastic bag and put in a sleeping bag (Instagram)

Another voice is heard in the footage calling on the crowd to kill him while Irish told them he was innocent.

Authorities managed to get Irish to a waiting ambulance as the crow surged at him once again.

He was transported to a local hospital in stable condition, police said.

It is not clear what connection Irish may have to Williams.

The body of the 31-year-old victim was discovered on 27th Street between Second and Third avenues just before 5pm on Friday.

According to the medical examiner’s office, she died from a gunshot wound to the head.

Williams’ family have described her as someone who wanted to be an advocate for women, according to ABC7.

“She was beautiful, she was sweet, she was college-educated, she was just a good person,” said the victim’s aunt Nisha Ramirez.

Her mother said her daughter had just started a new job last week for the city where she would be helping the homeless.

She was also looking forward to celebrating her mother’s birthday in a couple of weeks.

“I was so excited for her and so excited to spend my birthday with her, but now I’m not, my baby is gone,” she said.

The victim’s loved ones have set up a memorial in front of the building where her body was found.

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