Darias Jemell Williams was 32 years old when he was found stabbed to death inside a home in the 8100 block of South Paulina Street in Auburn Gresham, on Chicago's South Side, on the night of Sunday, June 7, 2026. He lived on the same block. Area 2 detectives of the Chicago Police Department investigated.
Police said that around 9:30 p.m. Williams was found with a stab wound to his abdomen inside the home. He was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner's office. The Chicago Sun-Times homicide tracker, which lists every homicide in the city, records the case as a stabbing. A local law firm's social media post gave his age as 31; the medical examiner's office listed him as 32.
Beyond those details, very little has been released. Police have not said publicly who found him, whether he was attacked in his own home, whether he knew his attacker, or whether anyone else was present.
No suspect description, vehicle or person of interest was announced, and no follow-up story could be found.
Almost nothing about Darias Williams's life has been made public. No obituary, memorial page or family fundraiser could be found for this account. He surely had family and friends who remember him, but none of that has entered the public record.
Williams is one of the most common surnames in the country, and searches for his name are dominated by other people, including athletes and others who share his first name. His distinctive middle name, Jemell, is the clearest way to separate him from them, and it may help people who knew him recognize that this is his case.
The 8100 block of South Paulina Street lies in a residential part of Auburn Gresham, a South Side neighborhood of brick bungalows and two-flats near the busy 79th Street commercial corridor. On a Sunday night in early June, neighbors may have been outside or awake and may have heard an argument, seen someone leave the home, or noticed a car pulling away.
Darias's death came as Chicago's violence continued to fall. The city recorded 416 homicides in 2025, the fewest in about 60 years, after about 590 in 2024 and about 800 in 2021, the deadliest year in a quarter century. Chicago police reported clearing 56 percent of homicides in 2024, though that figure counts cases closed without charges, which means many families are still waiting for an arrest.
No arrest, criminal charge or court case connected to the death of Darias Jemell Williams could be found in news archives or public records. Months later, there is no public sign that anyone has been held responsible. Anyone who knew Darias and saw him that weekend, or who was on South Paulina Street that Sunday night, may be able to help. Even a small detail, such as a name overheard, a car seen leaving the area or a conversation remembered, can help detectives move a case forward. Anyone with information can call the Chicago Police Department's anonymous tip line at (833) 408-0069 or submit a tip online at CPDTIP.com, or contact Cook County Crime Stoppers at (800) 535-STOP (7867).
