Man accused of fatally stabbing woman in her Manhattan apartment pleads guilty to murder, burglary charges

By Emma Tucker and Artemis Moshtaghian, CNN

(CNN) — The man who fatally stabbed a 35-year-old woman inside her New York apartment after following her home in 2022 has pleaded guilty to murder and burglary charges, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office announced Tuesday.

Assamad Nash, 27, pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder and first-degree burglary as a sexually motivated felony in connection with the killing of Christina Yuna Lee, who was found dead in her Chinatown apartment on February 13, 2022, having been stabbed at least 40 times, the DA’s office said.

“Today Assamad Nash was held accountable for senselessly taking Christina Yuna Lee’s life after he followed her into her own home,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement Tuesday. “Ms. Yuna Lee’s family and loved ones were deprived of a daughter, sister, and friend. My thoughts are with her family and our community as they continue healing from this tragedy.”

Nash is expected to be sentenced to 30 years to life in state prison during his sentencing hearing, which is scheduled for July 30, the DA’s office said.

CNN has reached out to Nash’s attorney for comment.

Last May, Lee’s family filed a lawsuit against members of the New York City Police Department and New York City, claiming delays in police assistance and medical care ultimately led to her death.

The NYPD did not respond to CNN’s request for comment on the litigation. New York City’s law department previously said it was reviewing the complaint.

Family lawsuit alleges wrongful death, negligence

The lawsuit, filed in New York County Supreme Court on May 12, states unnamed members of the NYPD “unlawfully failed to prevent the assault and battery on Ms. Lee or denied and/or delayed providing medical care to Ms. Lee, leading to her pain, suffering and death.”

The complaint was filed by Lee’s aunt, acting as her estate’s administrator, and also named the city as a defendant.

Around 4:21 a.m. on February 13, 2022, Lee was followed by a man who forced entry into her apartment, according to the lawsuit. At least one neighbor called police a few moments later after hearing her screams, the complaint states.

Two NYPD officers arrived at Lee’s apartment door around 4:25 a.m. and heard her yelling for help, according to the complaint. Her screams abruptly stopped, and the officers then spoke with the man through a closed door, the lawsuit says.

“Despite having reason to believe Ms. Lee’s life was in imminent danger, (the two NYPD officers) failed to gain entry to Ms. Lee’s apartment or otherwise provide her with any potentially life-saving police or medical assistance at that time,” the complaint states.

Other NYPD officials did not arrive on scene until about an hour later, despite the police precinct being approximately three blocks away, according to the lawsuit.

“At approximately 5:40 A.M., one hour and twenty minutes after Ms. Lee was first attacked, members of the NYPD Emergency Services Unit forced entry into Ms. Lee’s apartment,” the complaint says.

The complaint details nine causes of action, including wrongful death, negligence, denial or delay of medical care and violations of the state constitution. The family is seeking a jury trial, punitive damages against the defendants and unspecified compensatory damages.

The lawsuit also accuses the city of failing to address public safety concerns in a park located across the street from Lee’s apartment, citing a separate stabbing death that occurred near the park a few months before Lee’s death.

CNN’s Nicki Brown contributed to this report.

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