Man arrested on murder charge for April stabbing near American Tobacco Trail
Durham police arrested a man Thursday in connection with a fatal stabbing near the American Tobacco Trail last month.
Christopher Cornelius Caldwell, 64, is charged with first-degree murder for the death of Howard Morris Reade Jr., 44, court records show, who was stabbed in the 3000 block of Fayetteville Street on April 27. Reade was taken to a local hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
The April stabbing occurred in the same area as a fatal stabbing from March. LaRue Barbee, 46, was charged with first-degree murder for the killing of 51-year-old Chesleigh Lyons in that case, which police said was not believed to be random.
Caldwell has been convicted more than 10 times in North Carolina since 1985, on charges including assault on a female and an “escape prison” offense in Granville County in 1992, according to court records. He most recently was on parole for a charge of assault on a female in 2013.
Caldwell is being held without bail in Durham County custody and is set to appear in court on Thursday morning.
This story was originally published May 14, 2026 at 9:11 AM.
