SEATTLE — The man caught on surveillance video pushing a transit rider down a flight of stairs in 2022 pleaded not guilty to three violent crimes, including murder. Alexander Jay spent one year in jail awaiting a transfer to a mental health facility – since there were no beds available, the three felony cases charged in 2022 were essentially paused.
With his competency restored for trial, Jay has been indicted on one count of murder and two assault charges.
March 2, 2022, Alexander Jay was caught on surveillance camera footage pushing trauma nurse Kim Hayes down a flight of stairs at a Seattle light rail station. Less than 30 minutes later, investigators say Jay stabbed another woman 10 times "suddenly and without warning" -- that woman survived.
Jay was arrested March 3, held in jail, and in August of that same year, was tied to the murder of a man found dead the same night as the two other attacks. Brent Morgan Wood was found on East Olive Way with significant head injuries.
Nurse Kim Hayes feared the man who attacked her would never stand trial.
“Although I believe it is just that the defendant has been charged for the violent crimes he committed, it seems unjust that the process for accessing and providing adequate and appropriate mental health interventions for this defendant took well over 2 years,” Hayes told KING 5 Thursday.
Jay was found incompetent by the courts and was supposed to be transferred to a mental health facility, but due to the lack of beds, he remained in jail for one year. In exchange for violating his right to treatment -- DSHS, the agency tasked with his care, was ordered to pay up to $250 a day for each day he remained in jail – totaling $75,000.
Jay pleaded not guilty to all three counts through his attorney. His bail is set at more than $5.5 million and a court date was set for the end of December.