Police release details of choir singer stabbed 40 times as suspect turns self in – UNILAD

The University of Washington community is mourning the loss of a 19-year-old choir singer whose death has been ruled a homicide. Detectives confirmed that the student died from multiple stab wounds sustained at an off-campus residence near the university.

The victim has been identified as Juniper Blessing. According to online records from the King County Medical Examiner’s Office, the individual’s name assigned at birth was Michael Juniper C. Blessing, though the victim identified as Juniper Blessing.

The investigation into the killing led to the arrest of 31-year-old Christopher Leahy. On May 13, 2026, Leahy turned himself in at the Bellevue Police Department. This surrender occurred just hours after law enforcement released surveillance footage of a suspect in connection with the crime.

The Seattle Police Department has confirmed that Leahy was arrested on a murder charge.

Court records obtained by KATV provide a detailed and harrowing account of the violence involved in the homicide. The investigation revealed that Blessing suffered approximately 40 stab wounds, which were concentrated on the head, neck, shoulders, arms, and hands.

The incident took place on Sunday, May 10, 2026. Witness accounts and surveillance footage cited in court documents suggest a pattern of predatory behavior by the suspect prior to the killing.

Other students at the apartment complex alleged to investigators that Leahy had been stalking individuals on the premises. Specifically, two students reported seeing the suspect in the vicinity of the building’s laundry room around the time the homicide occurred.

One witness told detectives they saw Leahy inside the laundry room staring out the window on May 10, 2026.

The witness who discovered Blessing’s body provided further testimony regarding their interaction with the suspect. That individual told police they crossed paths with Leahy while entering the laundry room and opened the door for Leahy as he was exiting the room.

While the details regarding the stalking allegations have been included in court records, the Seattle Police Department declined to comment on those specific claims when contacted by PEOPLE.

The loss of Blessing, a young performer and student, has left a void in the university’s musical community. The case remains under the jurisdiction of the Seattle Police Department as legal proceedings against Christopher Leahy move forward.