NYC man accused of stalking, stabbing woman 40 times in her apartment pleads guilty to murder, burglary
A New York City man pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and burglary after police said he followed a woman into her Chinatown apartment where he attacked her and stabbed her more than 40 times.
In a statement, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced that Assamad Nash, 25 will be "held accountable" for viciously killing 35-year-old Christina Yuna Lee on Feb. 13, 2022.
"Today Assamad Nash was held accountable for senselessly taking Christina Yuna Lee’s life after he followed her into her own home," Bragg said.
"Ms. Yuna Lee’s family and loved ones were deprived of a daughter, sister, and friend," he said. "My thoughts are with her family and our community as they continue healing from this tragedy."
Nash admitted to following Lee up to her sixth-floor walk-up apartment before he, "ran up besides her, pushed his way inside and attempted to sexually assault her."
Police were called to the apartment after neighbors heard a woman screaming.
When law enforcement arrived at the Manhattan apartment, police said that they found Nash hiding under a mattress in the apartment and a bloodied kitchen knife that was hidden behind the dresser.
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In the apartment's bathroom, police found the 35-year-old with "at least" 40 stab wounds, including on her neck and torso.
She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Following the attack, multiple city and state leaders, including Mayor Eric Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul, condemned the murder as an attack against the Asian American community.
Nash has an extensive record in New Jersey and was on supervised release for three open cases when he allegedly committed the murder.