Durham police investigate second stabbing in 2 months near American Tobacco Trail

Durham police are investigating a fatal stabbing near the American Tobacco Trail, the second such stabbing near the trail in as many months.

The victim was found around 6:30 p.m. in the 3000 block of Fayetteville Street, police said in a Monday news release. Police identified the man as Howard Reade, 44, Tuesday afternoon.

Police evidence markers led from a store to the popular walking and biking path, according to ABC11, The News & Observer’s newsgathering partner.

Reade was taken to a local hospital where he was later pronounced dead. Police said Tuesday their preliminary investigation suggested Reade was stabbed.

As of 2 p.m. Tuesday, the Durham Police Department had not released any possible suspect information or other details.

Monday’s stabbing happened in the same area as a fatal stabbing March 9. Chesleigh Lyons, 51, of Durham died in that attack. A suspect, LaRue Barbee, 46, is charged with first-degree murder in that case.

‘Nothing changed after March,’ resident says

Casey Wagner, who’s lived in the area for 10 years, said he walks and runs on the American Tobacco Trail almost every day. But he often turns around before he reaches the intersection with Fayetteville Street, he said, because the area attracts criminal activity and drug use.

Wagner said he hasn’t seen a law enforcement presence on the trail or near Fayetteville Street, though he says the number of runners and walkers on the trail seemed to dip right after the stabbing in March.

“It’s one of the premier recreation destinations of the entire region, so it just adds to how crazy it is that this is allowed to fester by the city and local police,” Wagner said.

As of April 25, there had been 13 homicides in Durham this year, the latest police statistics show.

That compares to 11 homicides and 10 homicides by the same time in 2025 and 2024, respectively.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Investigator J. Barnes at 919-560-4440 ext. 29537 and 919-943-3875 or CrimeStoppers at 919-683-1200 or online at www.durhamcrimestoppers.org. CrimeStoppers pays cash rewards of up to $2,000 for information leading to arrests in felony cases, and callers never have to identify themselves.

Twumasi Duah-Mensah contributed to this story.

This story was originally published April 28, 2026 at 7:45 AM with the headline "Durham police investigate second stabbing in 2 months near American Tobacco Trail."