In a shocking and tragic case, a Washington State man is facing first-degree murder charges after allegedly killing his girlfriend in a gruesome incident that has left the community in disbelief. According to a report by Law and Crime on Sunday, August 18, 2024, 25-year-old Andy Chu is accused of choking and drowning his girlfriend, Zoey Suyun He, also 25, while under the influence of the drug Molly. The case has drawn significant attention due to the bizarre and disturbing details surrounding the crime.
The incident came to light on August 10 when concerned neighbors called 911 after noticing water flowing out of Chu’s condominium on NE 133rd Street in Seattle. Seattle firefighters arrived at the scene shortly before 10:30 a.m. and made a grim discovery. Zoey He’s body was found on the bathroom floor, partially nude, with an ice pack on her throat and a block supporting the back of her head. Her body was also covered with a granular substance later identified as Acai powder.
The police report described the bathroom as chaotic, with a full bathtub, a sink running at full blast, and water flooding the floor and stairs. The victim had suffered a “severe traumatic assault” to her face, head, neck, and chest. Detectives identified the victim through her Hawaii driver’s license.
Surveillance footage from a neighbor’s camera showed the couple arriving at Chu’s condo around 4:45 p.m. on August 9, carrying groceries. By the morning of August 10, Chu was seen leaving the condo alone at around 8 a.m. Neighbors reported that Chu was behaving unusually, including returning everyone’s trash bins to the property, a task he had never done before.
The case took a more disturbing turn on August 11, when police received a report of a patient at the University of Washington Medical Center in Ballard allegedly groping a nurse. The patient was identified as Chu, who had been taken to the hospital by friends due to his “psychotic behavior.” Police brought Chu to Seattle Police Headquarters for an interview, where he provided a fragmented and confusing account of the incident.
Chu reportedly told police that he “thought he may have killed her” and recalled choking her, twisting her neck, and holding her under the water in the tub. He then attempted bizarre methods to “fix” and revive her, including sprinkling Acai powder on her body and placing a ball similar to a golf ball in her mouth to “fix her jaw.” Chu admitted to consuming two Molly pills and smoking marijuana before the incident. The police noted visible bruises and abrasions on Chu’s knuckles, knees, legs, and elbows.
An autopsy revealed extensive blunt force trauma but no fractures. The medical examiner found a large, smooth white ball lodged in He’s throat, determined to be the cause of her asphyxiation. The ball was approximately 4.5 cm in diameter, slightly larger than a standard golf ball.
In addition to the murder charge, Chu is also facing a battery charge for allegedly groping the nurse at the hospital. He is currently being held at King County Jail on a $5 million bond. “Some of the details are hard to read,” said Casey McNerthney told Seattle ABC affiliate KOMO. “But it was important for King County prosecutors to get before the court. It is exactly the details in the charging documents that made us want to ask for a $5 million bail.”
The tragedy is compounded by the fact that He was just three days away from her 26th birthday when she was killed. Honolulu’s KHON-TV reported that He and Chu were high school classmates in Hawaii, and she had worked at the Hawaii State Capitol during the 2022 legislative session. The case remains under investigation as the community grapples with the devastating loss of a young life.