A callous pre-dawn ax attack claimed the life of a homeless man in Seattle last month, and now the 25-year-old suspect behind the grisly slaying faces first-degree murder charges. Liam Harrison Kryger allegedly murdered 52-year-old Daravuth Van as he slept outside Town Hall Seattle on February 22, as reported by KPTV.
Locked away on a towering $5 million bail, Kryger was nabbed in his apartment northeast of the city's downtown, according to USA TODAY. The victim, found in a pool of blood by a woman on her way to the gym around 5 a.m., was pronounced dead at the scene. Court documents divulge chilling details, showing Kryger circling the area, weapon in tow, before committing the heinous act.
Video surveillance revealed that approaching cautiously, Kryger appeared to have ambushed Van with the ax, swiftly executing the attack and escaping the scene. This clear premeditation has been highlighted by the Seattle police, with Chief Adrian Diaz describing the victim's death as a tragic event during his press conference on Monday.
The charging papers paint a harrowing picture of Kryger stalking his victim, a man worn by the harshness of the streets and vulnerable in his slumber. With a brazen disregard for humanity, he is alleged to have inflicted a fatal ax blow to Van's head—a graphic testament to the violence homeless individuals often face, exposed by KING 5.
