SEATTLE -- What started as an LSD trip between a University of Washington couple ended in a terrifyingly brutal killing.
On Wednesday, King County prosecutors charged 21-year-old Casey Henderson with First Degree Murder.
Seattle police say they were called to the victim's University District apartment Sunday by a neighbor who heard the suspect screaming, "Do you want to die?" and "I'll kill you."
When police arrived, they say they found Katy Straalsund in a choke hold, her boyfriend squeezing the life out of her.
Police say the 22-year-old UW co-ed was savagely beaten by Henderson as she pleaded for him to stop.
According to detectives, Henderson confessed that the couple scored LSD on the streets of the University District, Saturday. They roamed the UW campus until returning to her apartment the next day. At that point, prosecutors allege Henderson flew into a paranoid rage.
According to court documents, Henderson told police he thought Straalsund was "plotting against him." He "punched her repeatedly in the face and head," and kicked her using martial arts moves. Eventually he strangled her with his bare hands. According to police, he remembered his girlfriend repeatedly telling him to stop and asking, "What are you doing?"
Prosecutors say a cousin of the victim told them Straalsund had recently found out Henderson had a "secret girlfriend" with whom he was planning to move to Paris. According to the cousin, they had argued about it in the past.
Henderson was kicked out his fraternity, Lambda Chi Alpha, last year for undisclosed issues. He has a prior history of being a minor in possession of alcohol and disorderly conduct. He's currently held on $2 million bail. Even without any prior felonies, the standard range for a conviction of Murder in the First Degree is 20 years to 26 years and 8 months.
Students at the University of Washington are on spring break. They'll be learning of the killing upon their return.
University of Washington President Ana Mari Cauce released a statement saying, "Our broken hearts are with Katy’s family and friends, and we offer our deepest condolences and support at this incredibly difficult time for them. This is a tragedy for those who loved Katy, for the UW and our community – a horrifying and senseless act of violence that has robbed a promising young woman of her future."
