Additional Coverage:
- Suspect in custody for alleged murder of college student after police released eerie surveillance photos (foxnews.com)
A man suspected of murdering a University of Washington student on Sunday night turned himself in to authorities Wednesday evening, ending a three-day search.
The Seattle Police Department (SPD) had released photos of the suspect earlier Wednesday afternoon, seeking public assistance in locating him following the tragic incident. According to an SPD statement issued early Thursday, detectives arrested a 31-year-old man on May 13 in connection with the homicide that occurred May 10 in a UW campus housing building. The victim, a 19-year-old student, was found deceased with stab wounds.
The suspect, who remains unnamed, is a former University of Washington student who attended the school from 2015 to 2021, SPD confirmed. He surrendered to the Bellevue Police Department and was subsequently transferred to Seattle homicide detectives.
The stabbing took place late Sunday night in a laundry room at the Nordheim Court apartments-privately managed housing located off-campus but listed on the university’s website as an option for undergraduate students.
Police described the suspect as a light-skinned Black male, approximately 5 feet 7 inches tall with a thin build. Surveillance images show him wearing thin wire-framed glasses, a scruffy goatee, a navy blue pullover sweatshirt, and blue jeans. One chilling photo captures him glancing over his right shoulder directly into a security camera.
University of Washington Police and the Seattle Fire Department responded to the scene and attempted life-saving measures; unfortunately, the victim did not survive. The student, reportedly transgender, has not been publicly identified.
University President Robert Jones expressed his condolences to the victim’s family and community in a statement to the school newspaper, The Daily. He acknowledged the heightened concerns violence against a trans person can cause within the LGBTQIA+ community and emphasized the profound loss felt by all.
Seattle Police continue to investigate the case.