Man accused of brutally stabbing transgender University of Washington student found unfit to stand trial

Published: 06:24, 30 June 2026 | Updated: 06:26, 30 June 2026 A Seattle man accused of brutally murdering a transgender woman has been deemed unfit to stand trial. Christopher Leahy, 31, allegedly stabbed University of Washington student Juniper Blessing, 19, more than 40 times in the laundry room of a Seattle student housing complex back in May. Leahy has yet to enter a plea, with his arraignment delayed several times for psychiatric evaluations.  The results found the 31-year-old incompetent to stand trial, King County Superior Court Judge Joe Campagna said, The Seattle Times reported. When an individual is found incompetent to stand trial, it means they cannot understand the court proceedings or help their attorney prepare a defense.  The state then requires short-term treatment to help restore their competency, which usually includes legal education and psychiatric medication. If they are later found permanently incompetent, the charges are dismissed, and they may be placed in civil mental health treatment.  If treatment restores his competency, the alleged killer could be returned to custody to move forward with his criminal case.  Appearing via Zoom at Monday's arraignment, Leahy was informed that his psychiatric findings prohibit him from possessing a firearm.  University of Washington student Juniper Blessing, 19, was fatally  stabbed more than 40 times in the laundry room of a Seattle student housing complex back in May Christopher Leahy, 31, has been deemed unfit to stand trial Harrowing surveillance footage showed the unsuspecting teenager doing her laundry, unaware that a stranger who'd just crept into the room was about to murder her Harrowing surveillance footage showed the unsuspecting teenager doing her laundry, unaware that a stranger who'd just crept into the room was about to murder her.  Blessing, who was wearing a pair of rainbow soled sneakers, was gruesomely stabbed to death. Another student came across the bloody scene around 10 minutes later and dialed 911.  Footage shared by prosecutors stops before the violence begins. Leahy is said to have killed Blessing as she emptied the washing machine's lint collector. The attack was a random one and Blessing did not know her killer, according to investigators. Prosecutors say the murder was premeditated and that Leahy had set out to kill a woman on the evening of the murder. Leahy is said to have scoped out the laundry room before selecting Blessing as his victim. He followed a different young woman into the room at 9:45pm on May 10, around 15 minutes before the attack on Blessing.   He left the room one minute later, then returned to the area at 10pm while Blessing and another student were inside. The suspect who cops say is Leahy appeared to scope out the security camera and its wires while Blessing sat on the floor in front of a dryer. Prosecutors allege that Leahy unplugged the camera before he attacked Blessing, according to court documents obtained by KOMO. Blessing's family said the transgender student was 'courageously living their life as who they were until it was tragically cut short' Prosecutors say the murder was premeditated and that Leahy had set out to kill a woman on the evening of the murder The suspect who cops say is Leahy appeared to scope out the security camera and its wires while Blessing sat on the floor in front of a dryer Leahy turned himself in to the police days after the slaying '[Leahy] comes back into the laundry room and stares directly into the camera mounted to the right of the door,' the filing stated.  'He appears to follow the path of the power cord with his eyes and head from the camera around the wall above the doorway.' Leahy turned himself in to the police days after the slaying, after surveillance pictures of the suspect were released amid an urgent manhunt. He has been charged with first-degree murder and is being held on $10 million bail at the King County Jail. Leahy was a student at University Prep, an elite $25,000-a-year private school in Seattle, and for some time, he was 'popular' among his peers, according to an old classmate speaking to the Seattle Times.  But the classmate said Leahy underwent a 'big personality shift' in tenth grade, saying there was a 'moment where the light went off a little bit where he wasn't social.' 'He went from him hanging out with us to him sitting by himself and reading books,' the classmate, who wanted to remain anonymous, said. Leahy became 'erratic,' according to his ex-peer, and, in one bizarre episode, he ranted to other students about drawing 'boxes inside of boxes that made no sense.' Blessing's family said the transgender student was 'courageously living their life as who they were until it was tragically cut short.' 'Juniper was simply the most amazing human being we have ever known — highly intelligent, extremely talented, and deeply sensitive to the needs of others,' her family said in a statement via the Human Rights Alliance. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. 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