Photos released as police seek man in UW student murder

SEATTLE — Seattle police identified a suspect in the May 10 murder of a University of Washington student on Wednesday, and they are asking the public to look closely at the photos and see if anyone can help police capture the person.

RELATED | UW students raise security concerns after deadly stabbing, report prior break-in

The suspect is a light-skinned black man approximately 5’7†described as thin build, wearing a long-sleeve dark blue full zip shirt with a light triangle style emblem inside a circle on the left front, a white collared shirt underneath, dirty blue jeans, dirty dark, possibly gray shoes with a light sole, police said.

The suspect is tied to the killing of a University of Washington student Sunday night at an apartment complex filled with other UW students.

“This individual just committed a homicide; they should be considered armed and dangerous,†Seattle Police Department Det. Eric Munoz said. “If we can provide more information to the public, we will. We don’t believe at this point anyone else is at risk; however, this is still an armed and dangerous homicide suspect. It’s important we catch them and bring them to justice as fast as we can.â€

According to police, officers were dispatched to a report of a stabbing at the Nordheim Court Apartments in the 5000 block of 25th Avenue NE around 10:10 p.m. Sunday.

Police found a 19-year-old woman dead in a laundry room in Building 7.

Officers and firefighters tried to revive her, but she was pronounced dead. The victim is believed to be a UW student and a transgender woman, police said.

The King County Medical Examiner will confirm the victim’s identity.

The man in the photos is wearing darker rimmed eyeglasses, has short black hair, and a goatee with ingrown scruff around the jaw, according to police.

If seen, please call 911 immediately.

If you know who the suspect is or have information about him, please call the Seattle Police Homicide Tip Line at 206-233-5000.

Students told KOMO News they have heard allegations that the laundry room door lock was not secure where the stabbing occurred, and that there was a recent break-in at the same complex.

“I had no clue about the break-in or anything and had to find out after something tragic happened,†said Bella, a UW sophomore majoring in informatics.

“I think there is a lot of fear, confusion, and frustration with UW police,†said Emma Saika.

Saika, a junior architecture major, said she lives directly across the street from the off-campus housing complex that is now the center of a police investigation.