Man dies 2 years after beating in Seattle; suspect charged

SEATTLE (AP) – A Washington state man who pleaded guilty to beating a 62-year-old homeless man in Seattle in 2019 was charged with second degree murder after prosecutors said the man was two years later as a result of the Attack died.

King County prosecutors said 42-year-old Ryan Johnston previously pleaded guilty to a first degree attack after meeting Jeffrey Christenson and hitting him with a traffic cone while he was resting in front of the Seattle Central Library, reported the Seattle Times.

An autopsy revealed that Christenson died of delayed complications two years later and his death was homicide. Johnston is now facing a second degree murder charge. Court records do not show whether he has a lawyer to speak on his behalf.

Court records show that Johnston also pleaded guilty to a third degree attack after slapping a woman in the face three weeks after the attack on Christenson.

Johnston was sentenced to more than seven years in prison.

After his arrest, he was diagnosed with unspecified psychosis and bipolar, schizoaffective, and substance abuse disorders at Western State Hospital.

Christenson, who sustained a traumatic brain injury that left him with severe physical and cognitive disabilities, died on March 20 this year in a Pierce County nursing home.

Court records show Johnston was charged Tuesday with the second degree murder of Christenson’s death. He is currently detained at the Coyote Ridge Corrections Center in Connell, about 150 kilometers east of Yakima.

An indictment is scheduled for May 17th. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.