A man wanted in connection with the slaying of a transgender University of Washington student surrendered to police, bringing “some sense of relief” to the Seattle campus, officials said Thursday.
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Christopher Leahy, 31, turned himself in to police in nearby Bellevue at 10:42 p.m. PT on Wednesday, about 8 miles from where the slaying allegedly took place in Seattle, authorities said.
He was then transferred to the custody of Seattle homicide detectives, officials said. The suspect was booked into “King County Jail for investigation of Murder,” according to a Seattle Police Department statement.
Telephone messages left by NBC News for several of Leah’s relatives, seeking their comments, were not immediately returned on Thursday.
“I hope the arrest brings some sense of relief to our community,” university President Robert Jones said in a statement Thursday. “But this arrest does not lessen the profound shock and grief that the victim’s loved ones and our campus are still experiencing or bring back a beloved, promising and talented member of our university.”
The victim has still not been identified, beyond the Seattle police saying the slain student was a 19-year-old trans woman.
Jones thanked Seattle police for arresting the suspect in a matter of days.
“Much is still unknown about what caused this tragedy, and while this development is important, we will be looking closely at the circumstances in which this event occurred as part of our continued efforts to keep our campus community safe,” Jones said.
“I thank everyone who has stepped up this week to offer support, compassion and care. The University remains committed to offering resources for those who need support, including our LGBTQIA+ community, during this difficult time.”
Campus police were called to the Nordheim Court student housing complex at 10:10 p.m. Sunday in Seattle, and responding officers found the slain student in a laundry room, officials said.
Investigators said they were searching for a man, 5-foot-6 to 5-foot-8, “wearing a vest with a button-up shirt, and blue jeans,” police said.
Seattle police late Wednesday afternoon posted pictures of the man they were seeking. The images appear to have been taken in the laundry room.
The Seattle campus of the University of Washington has about 36,000 undergraduates, who study under a quarter system that wraps up its spring classes relatively late in the academic year.
While many colleges and universities are in finals now, Washington will not have its end-of-term exams until early June. Graduation ceremonies are scheduled for June 13.