University of Washington stabbing suspect turns himself in as victim identified
Juniper Blessing (left), suspect Christopher Leahy (right) (Santa Fe New Mexican / Courtesy Photo | X @SeattlePD)
The 19-year-old transgender student who was fatally stabbed near the University of Washington on Sunday night (10 May) has been identified as Juniper Blessing, remembered by loved ones as “the most amazing human being we have ever known.”
Blessing’s family released a statement through the Santa Fe Human Rights Alliance, obtained by the Santa Fe New Mexican, on Thursday (14 May) describing her as “highly intelligent, extremely talented, and deeply sensitive to the needs of others,” adding that her death “not only devastates us but diminishes the world.”
Blessing was studying within UW’s Department of Atmospheric and Climate Science. Friends and classmates have shared tributes online, remembering Blessing, who is reported to have used she/they pronouns by Seattle Gay News, as caring, thoughtful, and deeply loved. One friend wrote that she “only wished the best for everyone in her life,” while a roommate described her as “so kind” and “down to Earth.”
Authorities say Blessing’s body was found shortly after 10 PM on May 10 in a laundry room at Nordheim Court, a privately managed student housing complex affiliated with the university. According to local reports, the King County Medical Examiner determined she had been stabbed more than 40 times, as reported by KIRO.
Court documents reviewed by KOMO News allege that surveillance footage captured a man disconnecting the laundry room camera before the attack. Seattle Police later released images of a suspect, leading to a multi-day manhunt.
On Wednesday (13 May) night, 31-year-old Christopher Michael Leahy turned himself in to police in Bellevue before being transferred to King County Jail. On Thursday (14 May), a judge found probable cause for first-degree murder with a deadly weapon, and Leahy is currently being held on $10million bail, as reported by KATV.
As students and community members continue mourning Blessing’s death, local LGBTQ+ organisations have scheduled a private on-campus vigil in her memory. Seattle Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck previously called the killing “devastating and horrific,” in an 11 May statement, adding that Seattle “must serve as a refuge for our trans neighbours who are fleeing regions trying to erase their existence.”
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