Judge Joe Campagna ordered him committed to Western State Hospital for an initial competency restoration period of up to 90 days.
The man accused of fatally stabbing a transgender University of Washington student more than 40 times has been found mentally incompetent to stand trial and ordered to undergo competency restoration treatment at Western State Hospital.
Christopher Leahy, 31, appeared in King County Superior Court on Monday, where Judge Joe Campagna ordered him committed to Western State Hospital for an initial competency restoration period of up to 90 days after medical experts determined he is not currently competent to stand trial or assist in his own defense.
In a statement to The Ari Hoffman Show on Talk Radio 570 KVI, the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office said the court scheduled a competency review hearing for Sept. 24. Prosecutors added that because the competency restoration process has been ordered, Leahy did not enter a plea Monday.
Leahy is charged with first-degree murder with a deadly weapon enhancement in the May killing of 19-year-old Michael "Juniper" Blessing, a transgender University of Washington student who was found stabbed to death inside the laundry room of Nordheim Court, a privately managed apartment complex that contracts with UW for student housing. According to prosecutors, Blessing suffered more than 40 stab wounds during the attack.
Investigators allege Leahy stalked another UW student through the apartment complex shortly before the killing, following the student into the same laundry room where prosecutors say Blessing was later murdered. Court documents also allege that surveillance footage and tracking data placed Leahy in multiple campus buildings before the homicide and attempting to enter private homes in Seattle's Ravenna neighborhood in the days leading up to the attack.
Seattle police later identified Leahy after releasing surveillance images of the suspect to the public. Investigators said his brother and another acquaintance identified him from the photographs before Leahy surrendered to Bellevue police, accompanied by his parents.
King County prosecutors have also stated that, despite speculation following the killing, investigators have found no evidence at this time that the homicide was motivated by hate. They said that conclusion was reached independently by Seattle police detectives and multiple senior deputy prosecutors, though they noted the investigation remains ongoing and additional charges could be considered if new evidence emerges.
Leahy had previously been sent to Western State Hospital for an initial competency evaluation after his attorneys raised concerns about his mental competency. Monday's order moves the case into the competency restoration phase, in which doctors will attempt to restore Leahy's ability to understand the proceedings and assist his attorneys.
The Washington State Department of Social and Health Services told KOMO News that the competency restoration process can last up to one year if additional treatment periods are authorized by the court.
If doctors determine Leahy's competency has been restored, the criminal case will resume and he will be arraigned. If he is still found incompetent at the September review hearing, the court may order additional competency restoration treatment at Western State Hospital.
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