New York man admits to stalking, then stabbing woman 40 times, sparking fears of anti-Asian attacks

Assamad Nash pleaded guilty to one count each of second-degree murder and first-degree burglary as a sexually motivated crime

A New York man accused of stalking and stabbing a woman 40 times in her Chinatown apartment in 2022 has pleaded guilty to several charges related to the murder, according to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.

On June 18, Assamad Nash, 27, pleaded guilty in New York State Supreme Court to one count each of second-degree murder and first-degree burglary as a sexually motivated crime, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr. said in a statement. Press release. He is expected to be sentenced July 30 to 30 years to life in prison.

According to court documents cited in the release and as admitted in Nash's guilty plea, the harrowing incident occurred when Christina Yuna Lee, 35, entered her apartment building near Grand Street and Chrystie Street around 4 20 a.m. on February 13, 2022.

Related: New York woman found murdered in bathtub after being followed home, fatally stabbed in apartment

That morning, Nash followed Lee into the building and up six flights of stairs to his apartment. There, Nash ran up behind Lee, forced his way into her apartment and attempted to sexually assault her, the statement said.

The New York Post obtained chilling surveillance footage of the incident at the time and described it as showing Nash walking about 6 feet from Lee down a narrow hallway as she walked toward her apartment.

At 4:22 a.m., Lee's neighbors called 911 after hearing sounds of a struggle, including Lee screaming for help, according to the release. Minutes later, New York police officers arrived at Lee's apartment and heard her screams but were unable to gain entry.

Meanwhile, Nash attempted to flee the apartment via the fire escape, but went back inside after spotting a police officer on the roof above him, the release said. Around 5:40 a.m., officers broke down the apartment door and found Nash hiding under the mattress in Lee's bedroom, as well as a bloody kitchen knife hidden behind the dresser, authorities said.

In the bathroom, officers found Lee with “at least 40 stab wounds, including to the head, neck and torso,” according to the release. Lee was pronounced dead at the scene.

Nash was initially arraigned in criminal court on charges of first-degree murder and two counts of burglary, PEOPLE previously reported.

Lee's killing occurred about a month after Michelle Go, another Asian American woman, was fatally pushed in front of a subway car, sparking fears of attacks on Asian Americans, according to a report of New York Times. At that time, the number of anti-Asian hate crimes documented by the New York Police Department had doubled compared to the same period the previous year, the outlet reported.

In a GoFundMe campaign created in the wake of her death, Lee's relatives said she was killed in a “senseless act of violence” after returning from a night out with friends.

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“Christina was full of life,” fundraiser organizer Angela Yujin Lee wrote on behalf of the Lee family. “She radiated positivity, joy and love. She supported her friends in everything they did.

“She did everything she could to let those she loved know that she was there for them, never expecting anything in return,” the statement continued. “His loss is an unfathomable tragedy that his loved ones and community will have to struggle with for years to come.”

In announcing the guilty plea, Prosecutor Bragg thanked the police and other investigative teams for their work on the case.

“Today, Assamad Nash was held accountable for senselessly killing Christina Yuna Lee after following her into her own home,” he said in the statement. “MS. Yuna Lee's family and loved ones were deprived of a daughter, a sister and a friend. My thoughts are with her family and our community as they continue to heal from this tragedy.

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