Christopher Leahy, a 31-year-old Bellevue man, is charged with first-degree premeditated murder in the case of Juniper Blessing, the 19-year-old University of Washington student stabbed to death in the laundry room of her off-campus apartment building on May 10, 2026. Leahy turned himself in three days later. In late June 2026, a King County Superior Court judge found him not competent to stand trial and ordered him to Western State Hospital for up to 90 days of competency restoration, with a status hearing set for September 24, 2026. No plea has been entered.
What Happened at Nordheim Court
Blessing was doing laundry on the evening of May 10, 2026, in Building 7 at Nordheim Court, a student housing complex about five blocks from the UW campus. A surveillance camera inside the laundry room recorded the minutes before her death.1The Daily UW. Prosecutors Release Laundry Room Surveillance Video Showing Minutes Before Blessing Was Fatally Stabbed
Around 9:45 p.m., a female student entered the laundry room and held the door open for a man later identified as Leahy. He told her he was waiting for laundry and left seconds later. About fifteen minutes later, at roughly 10:00 p.m., Blessing was recorded kneeling by a dryer, cleaning a lint trap. Leahy walked in again, looked at the camera and at Blessing, then left. Another male student who had been in the room followed him out. Blessing was alone. The released footage ends at about 10:01 p.m.2The Spokesman-Review. UW Laundry Room Video Shows Moments Before Fatal Stabbing
Prosecutors allege Leahy returned, stared at the camera, traced its power cord, and unplugged it before attacking Blessing with what charging documents describe as “a knife or similarly shaped instrument.”3CBS Austin. Prosecutors Release UW Laundry Room Video Showing Christopher Leahy, Juniper Blessing She was stabbed more than 40 times. At about 10:10 p.m., a resident entering the building held the door for a man exiting through the east entrance, then walked into the laundry room and found her body. UW police arrived one minute later. Blessing was pronounced dead at the scene.2The Spokesman-Review. UW Laundry Room Video Shows Moments Before Fatal Stabbing
The Evidence Against Christopher Leahy
The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Leahy on May 18, 2026, with one count of premeditated first-degree murder plus a deadly weapon enhancement. If convicted, he faces an estimated 22 to 29 years in prison.4The Daily UW. Prosecutors Charge Defendant in Nordheim Court Homicide With First-Degree Murder
The physical and digital evidence includes a latent fingerprint that matched Leahy, recovered from what appeared to be blood smears on the exterior of the laundry room door.2The Spokesman-Review. UW Laundry Room Video Shows Moments Before Fatal Stabbing Detectives matched Leahy to the person in the surveillance video in part by comparing it with a recent video message he had sent to a former classmate.5KUOW. Bellevue Man Charged With Murder in Stabbing Death of UW Student Charging documents also cite “tracking apps and video recordings” that placed him inside UW campus buildings and near the crime scene two days after the killing. Prosecutors have not publicly detailed what tracking technology was involved.6KOMO News. Suspect in Killing of UW Student May Have Been Prowling Campus, Ravenna Neighborhood
Alleged Prowling in the Days Before
Prosecutors say Leahy was in and around the U-District for weeks. On May 2, university housing staff at McMahon Hall encountered someone matching his description in a residents-only area of the dorm. The person left when asked.7The Daily UW. Defendant in Nordheim Court Homicide Case Entered McMahon Hall in Weeks Before Death of Student On May 5, a homeowner gave police timestamped video of a man matching Leahy attempting to force open a door at a home less than half a mile from Nordheim Court.8The Seattle Times. Bellevue Man Charged in Violent Stabbing of UW Student On the night of the killing, prosecutors say he followed a different student through the multi-building Nordheim Court complex and into the same laundry room about 15 minutes before he returned and attacked Blessing.4The Daily UW. Prosecutors Charge Defendant in Nordheim Court Homicide With First-Degree Murder These incidents were not charged separately but are cited as evidence of premeditation.
Why It Is Not Charged as a Hate Crime
Blessing was a transgender woman, and the case drew national attention partly for that reason. Prosecutors have said there is no evidence the attack was motivated by her gender identity. Casey McNerthney, a spokesperson for the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, said proving a hate crime requires showing motivation and that “what it appears is that this victim was picked at random.”9KATU. Suspect in Killing of UW Student May Have Been Prowling Campus, Ravenna Neighborhood Prosecutors said that determination could change if further evidence emerged. As of mid-2026, no hate crime charge had been filed.5KUOW. Bellevue Man Charged With Murder in Stabbing Death of UW Student
Arrest and Booking
In the days after the killing, Seattle police released surveillance images of the suspect. The images generated a number of tips. One came from Leahy’s own brother, who identified him.9KATU. Suspect in Killing of UW Student May Have Been Prowling Campus, Ravenna Neighborhood After an attorney contacted police on his behalf, Leahy turned himself in at the Bellevue Police Department at about 10:20 p.m. on May 13, 2026, accompanied by his parents. He was interviewed by Seattle Police homicide detectives and booked into the King County Jail. Bail was set at $10 million.10FOX 13 Seattle. Police Arrest Suspect in UW Stabbing Authorities described Leahy as having a “history of mental health crises,” without releasing specifics.
Found Not Competent to Stand Trial
Leahy first appeared in court on May 14, 2026. His arraignment, originally scheduled for May 21, was pushed to June 4 after defense attorneys raised concerns about his mental health and competency.11The Daily UW. Nordheim Court Homicide Arraignment Postponed Due to Concerns of Defendant’s Mental Health and Competency On June 4, a judge ordered a 15-day competency evaluation at Western State Hospital. The evaluating expert requested more time, and the follow-up hearing moved from June 25 to June 29.12The Daily UW. Nordheim Court Homicide Defendant Ordered to Competency Restoration, No Plea Entered
On June 29, 2026, King County Superior Court Judge Joe Campagna adopted findings that Leahy is not mentally competent to stand trial and ordered him to undergo up to 90 days of competency restoration treatment at Western State Hospital.13The Seattle Times. Man Accused in Killing of UW Student Juniper Blessing Found Not Competent Under Washington law, a defendant must be found competent before a plea can be entered, so no plea has been recorded. Leahy is scheduled to return to court on September 24, 2026, for a competency review.14KOMO News. Man Accused of Killing Transgender UW Student Ordered to Spend 90 Days at Western State Hospital If doctors find he remains incompetent, the court can order further treatment. Under Washington state guidelines, competency restoration for a Class A felony like first-degree murder can extend up to one year.15Washington DSHS. Forensic Patients Competency Restoration
Leahy’s defense also asked the court to seal certain case documents, arguing they “reveal defense strategy and could identify potential expert witnesses.”16WPDE. Man Accused of Killing Transgender UW Student Ordered to Spend 90 Days at Western State Hospital
Who Juniper Blessing Was
Juniper Blessing was a 19-year-old transgender woman studying atmospheric and climate science at the University of Washington. She sang in the UW Chorale, the university’s advanced choir. Friends described her as thoughtful and down-to-earth. Her interests included Pokémon (she took her name from a character in the franchise), weather, poetry, and video games. Her family called her the “most amazing human being” with a “heart of gold” who was “courageously living their life as who they were.”17Them. Juniper Blessing: Meteorology, Hobbies, Friends, Family Remembrances
Safety Failures at Nordheim Court
Nordheim Court is managed by the private firm Greystar under a ground-lease agreement with UW. Residents reported longstanding safety problems. The laundry room door lock had been broken for months, effectively letting anyone walk in without a key card. Residents also cited poor lighting, an easily bypassed garage entrance, and no on-site security. Two burglaries at the complex in the 60 days before the killing had not been disclosed to residents.18KING 5. Arrest Made in UW Student’s Killing, but Some Residents Say They Don’t Feel Safe When some of Blessing’s roommates tried to break their leases after the killing, they were reportedly asked to sign contracts requesting that they “do not speak out in any way that could be interpreted as criticizing Nordheim Court Apartments.”19KUOW. UW Community Mourns Student’s Death, Questions Safety Measures
After the killing, the university stationed at least two police officers at Nordheim Court overnight and contracted a private security firm to cover the complex through mid-June 2026. Administrators said a formal property assessment was underway.20The Daily UW. A Singer, a Scientist and a Dear Friend: The UW Community Remembers Juniper Blessing