Man charged in UW student’s fatal stabbing found incompetent to stand trial

A King County judge found Christopher Leahy incompetent to stand trial in the fatal stabbing of University of Washington student Juniper Blessing and ordered a second competency restoration period, prosecutors said.

The court reviewed a Washington Department of Social and Health Services competency report dated Sept. 25 before issuing its decision.

Leahy is scheduled to return to court Dec. 22.

Leahy, 31, is charged with first-degree murder in the May 10 killing of Blessing, 19, inside a first-floor laundry room at the Nordheim Court student housing complex near the University of Washington campus.

The competency finding does not dismiss the criminal case. It means the court determined Leahy cannot understand the proceedings or assist in his own defense. The case is paused while the competency restoration process continues.

Under Washington law, courts hold a hearing at the end of a competency restoration period to determine whether a defendant can stand trial. In eligible felony cases, another restoration period may be ordered if the defendant remains incompetent. app.leg.wa.gov

University of Washington police responded about 10:11 p.m. May 10 to reports of a stabbing in the Nordheim Court laundry room. Officers found Blessing unconscious and unresponsive on the floor. Blessing was pronounced dead at the scene.

Charging documents accuse Leahy of acting with premeditated intent while armed with “a knife or similarly shaped instrument.” Blessing suffered more than 40 stab wounds, according to court documents.

Police released security video of a suspect, prompting numerous tips from the public. Leahy’s brother identified him as the person shown in the footage, according to charging documents.

Authorities said Leahy later turned himself in at the Bellevue Police Department with his parents after an attorney contacted police on his behalf. Investigators also linked Leahy to the scene through fingerprints allegedly recovered from what appeared to be blood smears on the outside of the laundry room door.

Court documents also allege Leahy was inside the apartment complex earlier that evening and followed another student into the same laundry room about 15 minutes before Blessing was killed. The student told police a man who said he was waiting for laundry followed her into the room before leaving.

Investigators believe Leahy may also be connected to prowling incidents in Seattle’s Ravenna neighborhood and other buildings near campus.

“Police indicate that there were attempts by the defendant to try to enter private homes in Ravenna in the days before the homicide,” Casey McNerthney, a spokesperson for the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, told KOMO News. “There was at least one other campus building that police say he attempted to get into before the death of Juniper on the 10th.”

Authorities have said Blessing, who was transgender, was not specifically targeted because of gender identity. Investigators have not found evidence to support a hate crime allegation.

“Right now, there is no evidence to prove a hate crime,” McNerthney said. “In order to prove a hate crime, you've got to show motivation, but what it appears is that this victim was picked at random.”

If convicted, Leahy faces a sentencing range of about 22 to 29 years in prison, including a deadly weapon enhancement, prosecutors said.

Blessing’s family thanked law enforcement, victim advocates and the community in a statement released after charges were filed. The family said it remains focused on remembering Blessing, describing the 19-year-old as a “beautiful human being” whose spirit was full of love, talent, determination and intellectual curiosity.

Leahy is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.