Police seek suspect in murder of trans student at University of Washington

On May 10, a 19-year-old transgender student was found stabbed to death inside a laundry room at Nordheim Court, a UW-affiliated housing complex located at 5000 25th Avenue Northeast.

According to the Seattle Police Department, detectives with the Homicide Unit have now identified a suspect and released images in hopes someone recognizes him.

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Police describe the suspect as a light-skinned black male, approximately 5-foot-7 with a thin build. Investigators said he was last seen wearing a long-sleeve dark blue full-zip shirt featuring a light triangle-style emblem inside a circle on the left front side, with a white collared shirt underneath. He was also wearing dirty blue jeans and dark-colored shoes, possibly gray, with light-colored soles.

Authorities said the suspect has short black hair, darker-rimmed eyeglasses, and a goatee with scruff along the jawline.

“If you see the suspect, please call 911 immediately,” Seattle police said in a public alert released alongside the photos.

Investigators are also asking anyone who knows the suspect’s identity or has information about his whereabouts to contact the Seattle Police Homicide Tip Line at 206-233-5000. Police noted the line is monitored 24 hours a day, though callers may be asked to leave a voicemail if detectives are assisting other callers.

The victim was discovered shortly after 10:10 pm Sunday when UW police responded to reports of a stabbing at Nordheim Court. Officers found the student dead in the building’s laundry room. Seattle Fire Department crews attempted lifesaving measures, but the victim was pronounced dead at the scene. Campus police initially secured the area before Seattle police homicide detectives and Crime Scene Investigation personnel took over the investigation.

UW President Robert J. Jones said in a statement to The Ari Hoffman Show on Talk Radio 570 KVI, “I want to express my deepest sympathies and condolences to the family and loved ones of the UW student who was killed late last night. There are no words that can express the profound loss of a student.”

Jones added that while investigators had not identified a suspect or established a motive, violence involving a transgender person can be “especially worrying to our LGBTQIA+ community members.”

“Our Division of Student Life is reaching out to students affected and providing support and resources to help them through this very difficult ordeal,” Jones added. “We are grateful to the Seattle Police Department homicide division for leading the investigation as they work to find the person responsible for this horrendous crime.”

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A Turning Point USA event at UW featuring detransitioner and conservative activist Chloe Cole was postponed on Wednesday after leftist student groups and Antifa-linked activists pledged to shut it down. Activists who had threatened the event before the homicide invoked the stabbing of the trans student while calling for more protesters to target the event. Cole had been scheduled to speak at Kane Hall for a TPUSA “Pick up the Mic” event before organizers postponed the event over alleged threats. Cole said in a video statement that “explicit threats” had escalated beyond what security and local law enforcement were prepared to handle.

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In a statement posted to social media, the University of Washington chapter of Turning Point USA condemned the killing and rejected attempts to link the group to the murder. “As many in the Seattle area have heard, a transgender University of Washington student was tragically murdered on Sunday night,” the group wrote. “The University of Washington chapter of Turning Point USA condemns this horrific act of violence in the strongest possible terms. No one should ever be subjected to such senseless brutality.”

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The chapter said it decided to postpone the Chloe Cole event due to “an overwhelming surge of violent threats directed at our chapter, threats that appear deliberately designed to falsely associate our peaceful event with the murder.”

“TPUSA at UW is not leaving campus,” the statement continued. “We remain fully committed to promoting free speech, open dialogue, and intellectual diversity at the University of Washington. We look forward to rescheduling this important conversation at the earliest appropriate time.”

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