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University of Washington Student Killed By Her Boyfriend While He Was on LSD

A student at the University of Washington died Tuesday after her boyfriend attacked her while he was allegedly high on LSD. Katy Straalsund, 22, suffered life-ending injuries several days earlier when her boyfriend and fellow UW student attacked her.


The boyfriend, 21-year-old Casey Henderson, allegedly choked and beat Straalsund after the two took LSD together earlier Sunday, according to Jezebel. Neighbors reportedly called police after they heard Henderson yell, “I will kill you” and “You wanna die?” to his girlfriend. The Seattle Times reported that officers broke into the apartment and pulled Henderson off of Straalsund, who was unresponsive.

Henderson is being held on $1 million bail for suspected homicide and domestic-violence assault. According to the Tri-City Herald, Seattle PD detectives said, “Several times during the interview, Henderson stated, ‘I thought I killed her,’” in addition to asking if his girlfriend was alive or not. He alleged that the two bought the LSD off of a person on the street, took the drugs, walked around the UW campus and finally headed home to the apartment before the attack occurred.

“Things started to get weird,” Henderson stated, according to the Tri-City Herald. Apparently, Henderson began to get paranoid that Straalsund was plotting against him. The Seattle Times wrote that he began to punch her in the face and head, kicked her, and strangled her. Both of the students grew up in Richland, Wash. Formal charges were expected to be filed on Wednesday.

Straalsund’s Instagram and Facebook depicted a happy and optimistic girl who enjoyed hiking, food, and nature.

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Bridget Higgins

U Mass Amherst

Bridget is a senior Journalism major focusing on political journalism at UMass Amherst. She interned for the HC editorial team, writes columns for the Massachusetts Daily Collegian, and occasionally gets a freelance article or two on sailing published by Ocean Navigator Magazine. When she isn't greeting random puppies on the street, she loves to cook for her friends, perpetuate her coffee addiction, and spend too much time crafting Tweets. She is also an avid fan of chocolate anything and unnecessary pillows. If you want to know more about Bridget, follow her on Instagram - @bridget_higgins - or Twitter - @bridgehiggins