Judge dismisses double-murder case against man accused of Seattle ax attacks
Aug 13, 2026, 5:37 PM
An outside view of Town Hall Seattle. (Photo: Joe Mabel via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0)
(Photo: Joe Mabel via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0)
A King County judge dismissed the double-murder case against Liam Kryger Thursday, who was charged in the February 2024 beating deaths of two men in Seattle.
Kryger, who was 25 years old at the time, allegedly used an ax in both crimes.
One of the victims was sleeping in an alcove in the parking lot of the Seattle Men’s Chorus. The other, 52-year-old Daravuth Van, was sleeping on the steps outside Town Hall in Seattle on Feb. 22.
Kryger was captured on surveillance video looking around to make sure no one else was there before swinging a “long-handled weapon in downward motion” toward Van’s head, according to court documents.
The blow fractured part of Van’s skull and penetrated his brain, according to the medical examiner’s report. Police said Van and Kryger did not appear to interact before the attack.
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Kryger found incompetent to stand trial in double-murder case
Kryger was found incompetent to stand trial after three rounds of competency restoration.
Prosecutors said they’ve exhausted every option the law allows.
Kryger is not being released, but he’ll be referred for a civil commitment evaluation.
Prosecutors said they could re-file if his competency improves.
