Man Accused In Brutal Chinatown Murder Indicted Wednesday: DA

East Village NY

16 March, 2022

4:14 PM

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CHINATOWN, NY — The man accused of fatally stabbing Christina Yuna Lee 40 times in her Chinatown apartment last month has been indicted on criminal charges, prosecutors announced Assamad Nash, 25, did not appear Wednesday in Manhattan Supreme Court, where prosecutors indicted him on charges of murder and burglary as a sexually motivated felony, according to the Manhattan District Attorney's office. "Today's indictment marks the beginning of our pursuit of justice in the name of Christina Yuna Lee, a bright and beloved New Yorker," Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement. "[She] should not have had her life cut short in such a violent, shocking manner in her own home." New details emerged at the indictment hearing, including that Nash claimed he'd been a victim of an attack the night of Feb. 13, reported the New York Post. "I was trying to help this female getting hurt by other people," Nash reportedly told cops. "I was trying to help the lady." Nash also claimed another attacker stabbed him in the leg, according to the Post. Nash — on supervised release at the time of the killing with three open cases against him — stands accused of sneaking into Lee's building on Chrystie and Grand streets about 4:30 a.m. on Feb. 13 and following the woman into her home. Prosecutors and police say Nash pushed his way into Yuna Lee's apartment, stabbed her more than 40 times, then hid underneath her bed. The violent attack rattled the city amid a wave of attacks on Asian New Yorkers. If Nash is convicted of first-degree murder, it would mean life in prison without the chance of parole. Nash has been on Riker's Island since Feb. 14.