Suspect in fatal stabbing of trans University of Washington student turns himself in

This story originally appeared on Them and contains descriptions of violence against a transgender person.

A man suspected of fatally stabbing a 19-year-old transgender student at the University of Washington on May 10 turned himself in to the authorities on Wednesday night, according to the Seattle Police Department.

Just hours after the SPD released surveillance photos of the suspect in an effort to find him, 31-year-old Christopher Michael Leahy turned himself into police in the neighboring city of Bellevue and was booked into King County Jail for investigation of murder. Jail records confirm that Leahy was booked at 6:45 a.m. on Thursday morning.

The arrest follows a multi-day manhunt for the suspect after the student was found dead this past Sunday night in the laundry room of Nordheim Court, a privately managed off-campus housing complex affiliated with UW. The university and Seattle Police Department have yet to release the identity of the student to the public, citing notification of next of kin.

In the wake of the murder, LGBTQ+ students at UW have grieved the loss of the victim — and some have criticized the school’s administration over its response. Student newspaper The Daily UW captured photos of an impromptu memorial made for the victim near a sculpture at a busy campus crossroads. Because the student remains unnamed, many tributes are addressed to an anonymous student.

“I miss you, did we have class? I miss you, did we ever see each other? I miss you, who are you?” one rain-soaked letter reads.

University president Robert Jones’ initial message referred to the killing as a “devastating act of violence” and a “tragic death.” In an interview with The Daily, trans UW senior Zahmiya James criticized the message, saying “I don’t like the phrasing of ‘an act of violence,’ because it wasn’t just that. It was murder, and we need to be clear about that.” James characterized the message as a “bandaid pat on the back.”

While information about the murdered student’s identity remains forthcoming, her roommate spoke confidentially with The Daily, calling her a “sweetheart” who was “so kind” and “down to earth.” The roommate said that they began “spam-calling” the victim after a campus alert went out about the homicide and felt internal “alarm bells” when the phone rang all the way through.

As students reel from the murder, and more information about the case unfolds, trans people across the country are rattled by the fact that a young trans person was killed in what has often been viewed as a safe and progressive city for LGBTQ+ people.

“Seattle must serve as a refuge for our trans neighbors who are fleeing regions trying to erase their existence, which is why today’s news is so devastating and horrific,” Seattle Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck said in a statement on Monday.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.