Diane Taylor, a 31-year-old African American woman, was found dead in her Chicago apartment on January 31, 2018. Investigators determined her death resulted from a violent attack and reported multiple stab wounds. The brutality of the assault prompted detectives to explore possible personal motives and to question friends, family and colleagues as part of piecing together her last hours.

Police say Diane had recently ended a tumultuous relationship, and that her ex-partner became a person of interest early in the probe, though no public link was reported. Forensic work on DNA from the scene produced a partial match in the national database that investigators followed up on. A suspect with a prior criminal record was arrested and charged in connection with the killing, and the case proceeded to trial where forensic evidence and witness testimony were central to the prosecution’s presentation.

Diane’s family has been active in drawing attention to domestic violence in the wake of her death. If anyone knew Diane, her routines, or saw anything unusual around her building in late January 2018, please come forward with information.