KUOW72%
Juniper Blessing, UW student fatally stabbed, remembered for her 'magnificent' voice 19%
By Noel Gasca0%
5/20/2026, 9:26:45 PM
BS Summary: This article contains 22 faulty reasoning types, including Appeal to Emotion, Optimism Bias, and Biased Writer Voice, with Anecdotal as the most egregious example at 21.3% saturation with 183 hits. Analysis detected 1,449 faulty-reasoning hits from 858 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 34.1% and a BS Rank of 19% (13,626 of 16,813 articles). This article is better (less manipulative) than 81.00% of the article peer group.
Savannah Rutherford said her private vocal student, Juniper Blessing, could use her “magnificent” voice to sing anything.
Whether she was tackling a Mozart aria or a song from a Disney movie, Blessing meticulously studied to improve her technique, even when she was being pushed out of her comfort zone.
“When somebody would suggest a new song, she’d have iffy feelings about it,” Rutherford said.
“After a few listens, she’d understand why she was given that song.”
Blessing’s musical talent has been referenced in tender messages left by friends, classmates, and family members since the 19-year-old’s death last week.
Blessing, a sophomore at the University of Washington and transgender woman, was found stabbed to death in the laundry room of her off-campus apartment building on May 10.
A 31-year-old Bellevue man, Christopher Leahy, has been criminally charged with murder in connection with Blessing's death.
As of Monday, King County prosecutors said there's currently no evidence that the killing was motivated by hate.
However, if new evidence emerges pointing to a hate crime, prosecutors could consider additional charges.
Rutherford said she met Blessing at the beginning of the 2025-26 school year, and developed a close, sister-like bond that manifested itself through deep conversations and occasional bickering.
Blessing graduated from the New Mexico School for the Arts in 2024.
At the UW, she joined the University Chorale, and obtained a solo at the end of her freshman year.
But when it came to academics, Blessing charted a different course.
Instead of majoring in music and risking losing her passion for singing, she decided to major in atmospheric science and pursue a minor in music.
Blessing's decision, Rutherford said, was rooted in her drive to help others.
“She wanted to study hurricanes,” Rutherford said.
“I think it was because it’s an ongoing crisis, [and] she could hop on this moving train and help save the world by studying these evolving and intense weather patterns.”
Blessing was applying for an internship with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
She asked Rutherford for a letter of recommendation, a task Rutherford described as "difficult."
Blessing wanted a position in Houston or Miami, cities both located in states that have anti-transgender laws.
Blessing asked Rutherford to refer to her by her dead-name — the name given to her at birth — rather than her chosen name in the letter.
“That was really difficult because I was like, ‘You’re just my Junie,’” Rutherford said.
“I had to use all of the traits — that she’s organized and efficient and incredibly friendly and inquisitive — as I wrote using this dead-name because it was just true.”
Blessing struggled through the winter quarter, according to Rutherford.
The dreary weather and heavy course load weighed on her mentally.
But as midterms wrapped up and winter turned to spring, Blessing was feeling lighter.
She wore a dress in public for the first time for a choir event just days before her death, according to Rutherford.
“I could tell she was feeling better in the weeks before this happened,” Rutherford said.
A hometown mourning
A booklet stuffed with messages from Blessing’s friends and high school classmates lists the passions of a young woman they remember as intelligent, talented, and sensitive.
Blessing loved shopping for jewelry and perfume.
She adored squirrels, moths, Pokémon, and blue jeans.
“Juniper could make a good time out of anything,” one note reads.
“May we all be more like Juniper Blessing."
Kevin Bowen, executive director of the Human Rights Alliance in Blessing's hometown of Santa Fe, is acting as her family's spokesperson.
He said he planned to share the booklet and a basket of notes with Blessing’s family.
“People are devastated because New Mexico, much like Washington state, is a very safe place for a lot of people, especially the LGBTQ community,” Bowen said.
“This kind of slapped everyone in the face because it hit so close to home.”
Over 200 people attended a vigil for Blessing in downtown Santa Fe on Sunday, according to Bowen.
Blessing’s friends shared memories of her tender kindness.
One shared a story about her willingness to serve as a designated driver on New Year’s Eve, because she wanted her friends to have a good time, Bowen said.
A former classmate mentioned that Blessing would be the first person to walk up to a new student and welcome them to the New Mexico School for the Arts and invite them to hang out.
Blessing’s mother shared another story with Bowen.
When her daughter was little, a hummingbird hit a skylight on her home and died.
“Juniper went out, grabbed it, put it in her hand, and went and dug a little grave for it,” Bowen said.
Blessing planted a flower on top of the grave, so the hummingbird would always have something to eat.
In the midst of the grief, anger, and sadness many are feeling as they mourn Blessing, Bowen said Blessing's family hopes that people will focus on the positive impact her life has had on those around her and the difference she could continue to make in the world.
Analysis
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