By Mathew Katz, Olivia Scheck and Nicole Bode
DNAinfo Staff
CHELSEA — A man was found stabbed to death outside a celebrity hangout nightclub early Monday, police said.
Christopher Adames, 23, of Morningside Heights, was found stabbed multiple times in the torso outside the Juliet Supperclub at 539 West 21st Street between Tenth and Eleventh avenues, shortly after 5 a.m., police said. He was taken to Bellevue Hospital and pronounced dead, police said.
The club — which hosted a party Sunday night described as "Street King presents New York's #1 Party" with DJ Whoo Kid and Chuck Barrett — had an A-list celeb turnout with stars including LeBron James and Jermaine Dupri, according to the club's publicist.
"I'm in juliet in NY and Meek mills got it again for the night hottest record in the club 'I'ma boss," Dupri tweeted at 4 a.m., according to his Twitter account, @Mr_Dupri.
"Partied with a King last nite LOL," DJ Whoo Kid tweeted at 6 a.m. Monday, along with a photo of him and James together inside Juliet.
James' publicist said the Miami Heat superstar played an exhibition basketball game in Philadelphia Sunday night, and that he could not immediately confirm his whereabouts after the game. But a publicist for the club said James was partying with some of the Giants following their win over the Eagles.
Sources said Adames walked out of the nightclub and was speaking with two women when a man came up behind him, stabbed him four times, and ran off.
"We saw him laying there, [police] were taking his picture," said a man who was headed to work at the Chelsea Piers with a friend when he saw the body. "There was blood on the ground."
Adames had been living in Washington Heights with his girlfriend, and has a 5-year-old daughter, according to his sister.
He worked as a security guard and had graduated from Cascades High School on the Lower East Side, his sister said.
A makeshift memorial was set up outside his family's apartment in Morningside Heights, with religious candles and handwritten notes saying, "RIP my brother."
A publicist for Juliet said that there was no evidence that the fight began inside the club, and suggested that it may have begun further west, near the West Side Highway.
"The venue was not involved," said publicist Amanda Mitchell. She said the club has turned over all surveillance tapes and entry records to police.
Mitchell said it was not immediately clear whether Adames had been inside the club Sunday night.
She added that the club would open Monday night.
Darius Gibbs, a fashion designer whose line is called DARK, said he was supposed to have a fashion show scheduled inside Juliet Monday night.
"They told me there was an incident. I don't know the exact story. I can't cancel my show, it's one of my big events," said Gibbs, who was outside the club Monday afternoon waiting to get in to set up.
Juliet once had menus designed by celebrity chef Todd English, but his involvement with the club ended in 2010, according to Grub Street.com.
Adames' cousin said the family was in mourning.
Relatives said Adames had gone to the club with a friend, who was being questioned by police on Monday. They said he normally went to clubs closer to Washington Heights.
"He wasn't a fight maker, a trouble maker. He was a quiet guy. He had no enemies," said cousin Jeffrey Vargas, 25. "He didn't deserve to die that way."
"He was a hard worker. He was always working to support his family. He has a beautiful little girl. Her mother said she still hasn't told her ... I wouldn't want to be in her position, telling her her father is dead," Vargas added.
Murray Weiss contributed reporting.
