UW stabbing suspect could be sentenced for up to two decades, court documents reveal victim was stabbed 40 times

Charges have been filed against Christopher Leahy, 31, the suspect in last week’s fatal stabbing of a 19-year-old University of Washington (UW) student.

Leahy made his first court appearance last Thursday afternoon. He’s been charged with first-degree murder with a deadly weapon. If convicted, the sentencing range is between 20 and 26.5 years, Casey McNerthney, spokesperson for the King County Prosecutor’s Office, told KIRO Newsradio. Bail has been set at $10 million.

According to court documents obtained by MyNorthwest and KIRO Newsradio, the victim was stabbed 40 times.

Investigators said the 31-year-old former UW student from Bellevue called police at approximately 10:40 p.m. Wednesday night, then walked into the Bellevue Police Department and surrendered. His surrender came just hours after the Seattle Police Department (SPD) released photos of the suspect.

“We’re very relieved. The No. 1 priority is the safety of all the students at the University of Washington,” SPD Detective Eric Muñoz told KIRO Newsradio. “The fact that they were able to do so so quickly is a testament to how hard these detectives worked, how important this case was, and obviously, I think everybody in Seattle, especially on the UW campus, can sleep a little bit safer knowing that justice has been done.”

Some had anticipated a hate crime charge because the victim was a transgender woman, but prosecutors said the attack was totally random. In fact, it is alleged that Leahy was stalking another student when he came across the victim, Juniper Blessing, and refocused his attention on her.

19-year-old UW student found dead in laundry room

Blessing was found dead inside an off-campus apartment complex near the UW campus late Sunday night, May 10.

Police said the woman was discovered in a laundry room at Nordheim Court Apartments, located north of University Village behind the Crate and Barrel store and nearby apartments. The complex primarily houses international and graduate students affiliated with the university.

Authorities said the first 911 call came in around 10 p.m. Investigators have not yet released whether the suspect and victim knew each other.

UW students recall run-ins with suspect prior to fatal stabbing

KIRO Newsradio heard from UW students about a separate incident in which a man matching the suspect’s description was found inside a university dorm. A student said the man followed another female into the dorm, and a resident assistant working at the dorm told him to leave, according to the student.

In a text message to friends, another student warned, “Please be careful. He was following one of my friends around a week before the girl died.”

Detective Muñoz said detectives worked around the clock with UW Police, trying to locate the suspect after piecing together multiple reports.

“I know our detectives have worked with UW Police, getting that information; they are aware of those previous incidents,” Muñoz said. “Obviously, we could never predict if that is, in fact, the same person that was seen on campus; you could never predict that he would commit such an egregious crime.”

Leahy allegedly tried to enter homes in Settle’s Ravenna neighborhood two days before the crime was committed.

“Although not a student at the university and not a resident of Seattle, tracking apps and video recordings have placed the defendant in campus buildings and attempting to enter private homes in Ravenna prior to the murder and back near the murder scene two days after the murder,” charging documents read. “Alone, this behavior is foreboding and ominous.”

Contributing: Luke Duecy, James Lynch, KIRO Newsradio; Julia Dallas, Jason Sutich, MyNorthwest

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