Transient man who stabbed a man in downtown Bellingham sent to prison

A transient man who stabbed a man for cooperating with law enforcement in downtown Bellingham in February will spend a little less than seven years in prison.

Christian Ryan Sacksteder, 23, pleaded guilty and was sentenced Monday, Sept. 19, in Whatcom County Superior Court to 6.75 years in prison, with 1.5 years probation, for second-degree assault. His prison time includes two years as part of a deadly weapon sentencing enhancement.

Sacksteder was previously charged with first-degree assault while armed with a deadly weapon and intimidating a witness, a felony. His charges were amended down as part of a plea deal, according to court records.

Shortly before 12:30 p.m. on Feb. 9, Bellingham police responded to a stabbing in the 1300 block of Railroad Avenue in downtown Bellingham.

The 31-year-old victim told police he was being interviewed by Bellingham police detectives about a murder and Sacksteder saw him get out of a police car, the court records state.

Sacksteder confronted the victim about “being a snitch” and then stabbed him near the ribs, records show.

The victim was taken to St. Joseph’s hospital for treatment of his injuries, the court records state.

A harassment no-contact order was put in place between Sacksteder and the victim as part of Sacksteder’s sentencing, records show.

Sacksteder also pleaded guilty and was sentenced the same day in court to 4.75 years in prison, with 1.5 years of probation for second-degree robbery. The robbery case stems from a January 2022 incident in which Sacksteder stole items from a local Fred Meyer store and attempted to assault store employees who confronted him, court records state.

Sacksteder will serve his prison time for both cases concurrently.