Seattle, Washington – A man from Washington state faces premeditated murder charges after allegedly attacking and killing a homeless man with what investigators believe to be an ax in Seattle. Liam Harrison Kryger, 25, is held on a $5 million bond at the King County jail following his arrest on Sunday for first-degree murder. The victim, 52-year-old Daravuth Van, was found deceased outside of Seattle’s Town Hall building in the First Hill neighborhood.
During a press conference, Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz disclosed that the victim was discovered early in the morning on February 22. Police arrived at the scene to find the victim’s body in an alcove of the building, not far from where the suspect resided. The preliminary investigation indicated that the victim was asleep when he was fatally struck in the head.
A passerby heading to a gym noticed the victim lying on the ground with a significant wound to his head and called 911. Detectives found a pool of blood surrounding the victim, who had a small amount of cash and identification in his possession. The victim’s belongings appeared undisturbed near him, as reported in a probable cause affidavit.
The King County Medical Examiner determined that the cause of death was a sharp blunt force object that fractured the victim’s skull and penetrated his brain. Surveillance footage obtained from nearby businesses and apartments captured the killing, showing the suspect circling the victim multiple times and checking for witnesses before carrying out the fatal blow.
Following a sighting of a suspicious person dropping an ax, officers traced the weapon back to a recent purchase at a local store, leading to the arrest of Kryger at his residence. During questioning, Kryger admitted to being the person in surveillance footage casing the area prior to the murder. Kryger is scheduled to be arraigned on the premeditated murder charge later this month in Washington County Superior Court.