Employees at Hutch’s Jewelry took to social media this weekend to address speculation about the future of the Oak Park retailer, whose charismatic lead jeweler died suddenly last month while the murder of the store’s owner in 2021 still looms large in the public’s mind.
Posting directly to the Hasty at Hutch TikTok account, Hutch’s employees AJ Williams and Jay “Jay G” Graves acknowledged the passing of Darrel “D. Hasty” Hasty, whose death during the penultimate weekend of February led to a wave of tributes from customers and admirers alike.
“Just want to come here and say thank y’all for all the condolences y’all sent, all the love y’all sent, everything – we greatly appreciate it,” a visibly emotional Williams said from behind a display counter as Graves looked on. “We definitely needed it.”
Hasty’s cause of death has not been disclosed. With deep-dive knowledge of Cartier frames, education in crafting custom gold pieces and lessons in other aspects of Detroit’s signature jewelry styles, the 33-year-old became the face of Hutch’s Jewelry through his TikTok account and other platforms after the store’s owner, Dan “Hutch” Hutchinson was killed in a murder-for-hire plot in 2022.
Between tragedies, however, the retailer’s profile grew, and not just with Hasty’s five-digit follower counts. The store began collaborations with the Detroit Pistons, while celebrities from out of town, including Rick Ross, E-40 and Trippie Redd, were added to a growing client roster.
How exactly Hutch’s moves forward from here is yet to be seen. Williams offered little detail about the store’s future, only reassuring customers that the store would be remaining open.
“We not going nowhere. We staying here. Stay tuned,” Williams said.
