Justice came Tuesday for the convicted killer of Christina Yuna Lee, who was stabbed more than 40 times to death in her Chinatown apartment two years ago in a murder that shocked the community.
Assamad Nash, 27, sat solemnly in a Manhattan courtroom on July 30 as Judge Laura Ward ordered him to serve a sentence of 30 years to life behind bars for the gruesome killing. Lee’s family members, in statements made prior to sentencing, charged that the horrific crime never should have happened, noting that Nash had been out on supervised release for criminal mischief.
Lee was fatally attacked on Feb. 13 inside her home near Grand and Chrystie Streets. Prosecutors said Nash stalked Lee that night, waiting for her to enter her apartment before rushing across the hall to catch the door before it closed. He then attacked her, ripping at her clothing and chasing her to the bathroom where he brutally murdered her.
Neighbors heard her screams and dialed 911. Statements made on the record report that Nash attempted to flee via the building’s fire escape but once spotted by cops retreated back inside and attempted to throw police off his trail by telling them he was a guest of Lee’s and that somebody else had killed her before finally pleading guilty to the crime.
He was found at the scene hiding under a mattress; Lee was already dead.
Prosecutors described Nash as a man who is dangerous around women and, even while incarcerated, would expose and pleasure himself in front of them to make them feel violated. They went as far to call him a risk to society.
Nevertheless, before Nash killed Lee, he was out on supervised release after numerous prior arrests for assault, harassment and vandalism.
Fighting back tears, Sungkon Lee, the victim’s father, laid blame at the feet of the state’s bail reform laws for permitting Nash to walk the streets before his daughter’s murder despite a lengthy criminal record.
” The murder was horrific, and no amount of sentencing can be of comfort to Christina, who died unjustly, or to her family,” Sungkon Lee said. “The New York State’s Bail Reform Law. Due to this law, various crimes were committed at the time. A criminal who should be in prison, was instead wandering around the city and committing other crimes. This is what happened in this case. Christina was brutally and viciously murdered by the murderer who should have been in jail.”
Judge Ward empathized with Lee’s family as she condemned Nash to a lengthy prison sentence.
“I wish there was something that I could do to make this better, but there is very little I have no power in that respect. It is completely unnatural for a father to have to bury a child,” Judge Ward said. “Mr. Nash, although he has serious mental deficiencies, as the people indicated, there are no medications that are available that can protect the society. It is, in this court’s belief, that the defendant should be sentenced as agreed upon by the parties.”
While much of the focus was placed on Nash, many of Lee’s family members looked to remind the world of the kind of person that was stolen from them.
“Christina and I have a lot of memories since early childhood living in America,” aunt Euksun Lee said, breaking down in tears. “Together with her I ate at the restaurant and go to Central Park, but I can’t do it anymore.”
Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg also commented on the horrific toll the loss has taken on Lee’s family and the community as a whole.
“Christina Yuna Lee was killed in an unthinkably horrific manner in her own apartment at the hands of Assamad Nash,” Bragg said. “Ms. Yuna Lee was a creative, kind and joyful person and her death not only devastated her family but left a lasting impact on an entire community. I hope the resolution of this case offers comfort and a sense of justice for everyone that has been touched by Ms. Yuna Lee’s life and this tragedy. May her legacy be celebrated for years to come.”
