Homeless man slowly stabbed New York City woman 40 times to death after following her inside apartment

After following a woman up six flights of stairs, into her apartment and brutally stabbing her to death , an unhoused New York City man was sentenced to at least 30 years behind bars for the nauseating attack.

Christina Yuna Lee was heading up to her apartment at the corner of Grand and Chrystie Streets in Chinatown at approximately 4:20 a.m. on Feb. 13, 2022. Assamad Nash snuck up behind her after watching Lee from the street, then silently followed her all the way up to her unit.

Once at the door, he reportedly forced his way inside, attempted to sexually assault her, then started to slowly stab her to death, striking her at least 40 times as she bled out over the course of an hour, according to Law & Crime .

READ MORE: Boy, 15, accused of murdering Texas woman, 62, found stabbed to death in shed behind her own home

READ MORE: Fears of 'Lady Bird Lake' serial killer reignited as another family calls for probe into 20 deaths

Lee's neighbors called the police after just two minutes, hearing her bloodcurdling screams and fearing the worst for the 35-year-old. It took units stationed a few blocks away several minutes to reach the apartment building but then said they were unable to gain entry.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said the police could hear her "calling for help inside," but they weren't able to enter. Eventually, at 5:40 a.m., more than an hour after Lee returned home, the police broke down the door, but it was too late — the Splice creative producer was already dead.

The police spotted Nash attempting to escape via the window of the apartment clutching a yellow object. He immediately went back inside when he noticed NYPD officers on the roof, it was reported, and was eventually found inside when officers broke down the door. He had been hiding under a mattress.

Click here to follow the Mirror US on Google News to stay up to date with all the latest news, sports and entertainment stories.

Lee's body was found in the bathtub with stab wounds on her torso, head and neck, at least 40 in number. The "yellow-handled kitchen knife" used to brutally murder her was found hidden behind a dresser.

The following day, Nash, who reportedly had been living at a shelter in the Bowery, a nearby neighborhood, was charged with first-degree murder, first-degree burglary and burglary as a sexually motivated felony. A few months later, on June 18, Nash pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and first-degree burglary as a sexually motivated felony. On Tuesday this week, Nash was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison.

"After Christina died, the remaining family members have been having a hard time living each day, feeling overwhelmed with longing and regret," Lee's father said during the sentencing hearing for Nash. "Why did God allow such a terrible thing to happen to our family? I just feel resentful that God is giving my family this ordeal."

He described Christina as good-natured and "considerate." During his victim impact statement, during which he asked New York County Supreme Court Justice Laura Ward to impose the maximum sentence on Nash, Sungkon Lee said, according to the New York Daily News, "She was a truly good daughter who always treated her family, friends and the people around her with a smile and kindness. She worked hard at her company with a sincere attitude. As an employee, she was praised by her colleagues for being an excellent employee."

Outside the courtroom on Tuesday, Sungkon said the family was filing a lawsuit against the city as he criticized the police response to the situation, noting that officers were there within minutes but didn't gain entry to the apartment until 80 minutes later. He said the family doesn't want money — instead, they want the city to build a shelter in his daughter's name.

"We want Christina’s memory to be remembered and to prevent others from having a similar fate," Sungkon said, according to the Daily News. "This is based on the fact that the culprit was homeless. It will contribute to preventing the recurrence of similar incidents in the future, and it will be a way to honor and remember Christina."

When she died, Christina reportedly worked as an activist, raising awareness of Asian hate crimes, which spiked after the COVID-19 pandemic swept the nation in 2020 and 2021. It's not clear whether the murder was hate motivated.