The man who fatally stabbed a New York City woman in February 2022 after following her to her Chinatown apartment pleaded guilty in the New York City Supreme Court last week to second-degree murder.
According to court records, 35-year-old Christina Yuna Lee was returning to her apartment in the early hours of February 13, 2022, when Assamad Nash followed her inside the building and up the six flights of stairs to her apartment.
As Yuna Lee was entering her apartment, Nash rushed her from behind and pushed his way inside where he attempted to rape her.
Neighbors contacted 911 at about 4:22 a.m. to report Yuna Lee’s screams for help and the sounds of a struggle.
When officers arrived at the scene, they could hear Yuna Lee’s screams but were unable to breach the door to her apartment because Nash had barricaded himself inside.
Nash attempted to flee the top-floor apartment by way of the fire escape but was spotted by a police officer on the roof above and quickly went back inside.
More than an hour later, officers gained entry into Yuna Lee’s apartment where they found Nash hiding beneath the mattress in her bedroom. A bloody kitchen knife was found hidden behind the dresser.
Yuna Lee was found dead in the bathtub with at least 40 knife wounds to her body, including her torso, neck, and head.
According to a June 18 press release from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, the 37-year-old Nash pleaded guilty to one felony count of second-degree murder and felony first-degree burglary with intent to rape.
He is expected to be sentenced on July 30 where under the terms of his plea, will receive a 30-to-life sentence in state prison, according to the press release.
Nash had a history of misdemeanor arrests, including an incident in September 2021 when he punched a 62-year-old man in a subway station after stealing another passenger’s MetroCard.
