Source: Women are Human
US — Seattle, Washington. A man who self-identifies as “a gender non-conforming woman” and “unapologetic feminist” is being held without bail at the King County Jail on charges related to the stabbings of two staff members at an apartment complex from which he was being evicted.
Michael Lowell Roberts, who has preferred the names Justine Stephenson and Lillith Stephenson, had a “frightening history of threats and assaults” against staff members at the Centennial Tower and Court Apartments in Belltown, King County Senior Deputy Prosecutor William Doyle alleged in court filings.
The 46-year-old highly-paid Microsoft Senior Development Engineer was said to have started out as a model tenant at the luxury complex.
Circumstances changed in early 2020, when the resident began exhibiting bizarre and aggressive behaviors.
In July, Mr Roberts threatened the 48-year-old maintenance service manager, Stanimir Tzankov, with a box cutter, and swung a kitchen knife at the man’s face during an inspection in August, the criminal complaint says.
The following month, all residents in the apartment complex were issued new key fobs. Mr Roberts failed to pick up his, and was unable to access the apartment on September 15. Once he gained entry, he allegedly threatened the building’s general manager, a 43-year-old woman: “If you ever lock me out of my home again, I will slaughter you and your staff.”
The general manager obtained a harassment order against Mr Roberts. She also initiated eviction proceedings, which additionally accused Mr Roberts of tampering with the fire alarm, putting other neighbors at risk and refusing to remedy any damages.
On September 23 at around 11 AM, eight days after the death threats, four King County Sheriff’s deputies went with apartment staff to serve Mr Roberts with an eviction notice.
Finding that the tenant was not at home, staff entered the apartment and changed the locks. The deputies left, advising staff to contact them if the tenant returned. The general manager hired a moving company to pack Mr Roberts’s possessions and a security guard to to be present during the move-out.
Upon returning to his apartment, an enraged Mr Roberts is said to have threatened the movers with a knife. The movers were able to escape the unit after the security guard pepper-sprayed Mr Roberts. Mr Roberts exited the unit, and the movers re-entered and resumed packing.
Mr Roberts went down 24 flights of stairs and found the general and maintenance service managers in the lobby.
Witnesses say Mr Roberts screamed an expletive before stabbing Mr Tzankov in the abdomen. As the general manager attempted to intervene and pepper spray the attacker, he stabbed her in the abdomen, witnesses told police.
According to a mover, Mr Roberts returned to the apartment unit with blood on his hands, and threatened to kill the movers if they did not leave.
Mr Roberts barricaded himself in the apartment, and hostage negotiators, mental health providers, crisis intervention officers and SWAT officers attempted to engage him. Police obtained a warrant, and ended the six-hour standoff by entering the unit and subduing the suspect with a stun gun.
Mr Tzankov and the general manager were rushed to Harborview Medical Center. Mr Tzankov suffered critical injuries and could not be saved. The general manager was treated for her injuries at Harborview and released the same day to recover at home.
Residents were saddened to learn of the death of their longtime beloved service manager, who brought joy each holiday season by dressing up as Santa for the complex’s annual Christmas Party.
Mr Roberts was initially held on $3 million bail before a judge revoked bail on the bases that the suspect presents a danger to the community and is facing charges that carry a potential life sentence.
