Man accused of killing girlfriend in Seattle charged with murder

Man accused of killing girlfriend in Lake City charged with murder

A man accused of brutally attacking his girlfriend and was later found in a flooded townhome in Lake City's Olympic neighborhood has now been charged.

LAKE CITY, Wash. - Prosecutors have rush-filed charges against the man accused of brutally killing his girlfriend, and later being found in a flooded townhouse in Seattle's Lake City neighborhood.

"It's important to hold people accountable when they’re violent against their partner, but also to provide ways out because domestic violence is a cycle and getting out is hard," said Casey McNerthney with the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office.

Andy Chu was seen on home surveillance video walking towards his home with his girlfriend, grocery bags in hand. A different sight captured on video the morning after the alleged murder shows him leaving alone, removing something from under his shirt. Prosecutors swiftly filed murder and assault charges against him.

He was arrested after allegedly assaulting a nurse at the University of Washington Medical Center, in an unrelated incident.

Prosecutors have described the incident involving his girlfriend as a horrific murder. Chu reportedly recounted to police that he attempted to "fix" his girlfriend's jaw by putting a golf ball in her mouth before leaving and never returning.

Chu's second court appearance was expected Wednesday, but he did not appear. According to court documents, Chu was experiencing a "crisis condition" at the time of the alleged crime.

The townhouse where the incident occurred was flooded due to water being left at "full blast," prompting neighbors to call the landlord. When police arrived, they discovered the woman’s body, identified as 25-year-old Zoey Yun, posed in a butterfly position with her throat cut. Chu later told police "he had a memory" of choking, twisting her neck, and holding her underwater.

A neighbor described the incident as a tragedy, especially considering it happened just before Yun's birthday.

The violent nature of the crime and the serious allegations led prosecutors to request a $5 million bail, even if he's well-connected, his freedom will cost him half a million dollars.

"Anytime you have somebody charged with murder there's a concern of flight risk, despite their connections, showing that to the court is an argument, so that is an element," McNerthney said.

Chu admitted to police that he had taken MDMA and smoked marijuana before the alleged murder. The medical examiner has confirmed that Yun's cause of death was asphyxia by homicide.