In a shocking incident that has left a community in grief, the lifeless body of 31-year-old Yazmeen Williams was discovered wrapped in a sleeping bag and discarded on a sidewalk in Kips Bay. The victim’s mother, Nicole Williams, expressed her devastation upon learning of her daughter’s tragic death, collapsing in tears upon hearing the news.
The grim discovery was made on Friday around 5 p.m. outside 207 E. 27th St., where the victim’s body was found among several black trash bags placed for garbage collection. Police have confirmed that Yazmeen Williams was shot in the head, and her death has been ruled a homicide.
According to law enforcement sources, a man was seen pulling the makeshift body bag on an electric wheelchair before leaving it on Third Avenue near East 27th Street. Workers at a nearby establishment mistakenly moved the black bag, believing it to be part of their own trash pile.
As of Monday morning, the exact time of the fatal shooting remains unknown, and no arrests have been made. Nicole Williams, however, pointed towards one of her daughter’s friends, who uses a wheelchair, as a potential suspect. She expressed her belief that the man, known in the neighborhood, may have been involved in the crime.
Yazmeen Williams, who recently started working with the city’s homeless population in a role with NYCHA, had just begun her career after studying criminal justice at Buffalo State University. She leaves behind a twin brother, and her father, residing in Atlanta, is expected to arrive in New York City to mourn the loss of his daughter.
A small memorial, featuring Yazmeen’s photo surrounded by flowers and candles, has been set up on the sidewalk where her body was found. A local homeless man, who knew the victim, took it upon himself to honor her memory.
