On February 26, 2024, the Fort Wayne Police Department responded to a residence on the 3000 block of Lynn Avenue regarding a death investigation. Inside the home, officers discovered the body of 21-year-old Black male Divoryan Lawan Warren-Hill. Authorities located him in the basement, where his body had been concealed behind a chair and covered with a pile of clothing and carpet.
The Allen County Coroner’s Office determined that he had sustained multiple gunshot wounds as well as a stab wound to the neck, ruling the manner of death a homicide.
Investigators established that the victim had likely been deceased for several days before his discovery, with his last known sighting occurring around February 20. Evidence gathered at the scene, including shell casings and a bloody knife, pointed detectives toward a suspect who was known to reside at the Lynn Avenue home intermittently. Witness statements and digital evidence further implicated 19-year-old Leland Hairston, who was identified in some reports as the victim's brother. Hairston reportedly exhibited unusual behavior following the victim's disappearance and had communicated details regarding the crime to witnesses.
Law enforcement officers located and arrested Hairston on March 6, 2024, during a traffic stop in Fort Wayne. He was taken into custody without incident and subsequently charged with murder. During the legal proceedings, prosecutors presented evidence linking Hairston to the weapon and the crime scene. In September 2024, a jury found Hairston guilty of murder. Following the conviction, he was sentenced to 75 years in prison for his role in the death. The incident marked a compounding tragedy for the family, as Warren-Hill’s sister had been killed in a police-involved shooting just months prior in November 2023.
