Who is Christopher Leahy? Suspect in University of Washington student stabbing turns himself in
A suspect has turned himself in after a 19-year-old University of Washington student was stabbed to death in Seattle, according to the Seattle Police Department.
Police said 31-year-old Christopher Leahy turned himself in to Bellevue authorities around 10:20 p.m. Wednesday. He was later interviewed by Seattle homicide detectives and then booked into the King County Jail for investigation of the murder.
The arrest comes days after a fatal stabbing on May 10 in the laundry room of the Northheim Court Apartments. Authorities identified the victim, a transgender woman and University of Washington student, who died after the attack.
Members of the campus community continue to leave flowers and memorials outside the apartment building as investigators work to determine what led to the attack.
Who is Christopher Leahy?
So far, authorities have released limited public information about Christopher Leahy.
According to Seattle police, Leahy is 31 years old and has a “history of crisis.” Officials said he reportedly turned himself in to police after his family in Bellevue urged him to turn himself in.
Prior to the arrest, investigators circulated surveillance images of a suspect described as a light-skinned black male with a thin build and a goatee. The person seen in the video was wearing a dark blue zip-up shirt with a visible white badge on it, and a white collared shirt underneath.
Police have not publicly revealed whether Leahy knew the victim or had any previous contact with the UW community.
Authorities also said the motive for the attack was unclear at this stage of the investigation.
The murder has unnerved students, some of whom expressed concerns about safety around the university area in the days before the suspect turned himself in. “Obviously, there’s a lot of fear in and around campus,” University of Washington student Pierce Wallbaum told Fox 13 Seattle. “What we really need right now is an opportunity to come together as a community.”
As the investigation continued, students and residents gathered near the apartment complex to lay flowers and pay tribute to the victims.
Police said more updates may be released as detectives continue to investigate the case.
