..MORE Virginia Tech tragedy?Christiansburg, VA - Details are emerging involving the decapitation murder of a Virginia Tech student in January. Haiyang Zhu was in Montgomery County General District Court Friday morning for a preliminary hearing.
Zhu is charged with first-degree murder in the slaying of 22-year-old Xin Yang. The 22-year-old woman was beheaded in her dormitory cafe where she met Zhu for coffee Jan. 21.
The following is how testimony played out in court Friday morning:
Corey Cox had just returned from a break as a cashier at Au Bon Pain, a cafe in Virginia Tech's Graduate Life Center, when he heard what he describes as an "aggressive growl". "It's the best way I can describe it," said the Blacksburg resident.
When Cox looked up, he saw a man attack a woman as she sat at a table just 10 feet away. Before pointing to Haiyang Zhu, identifying him as the attacker, Cox described a scene he calls "atrocious".
As patrons ran for the doors, Cox' boss became "hysterical", yelling for him to call 911. In a second, Cox had found comfort behind a counter where he made the call. As dispatch kept Cox on the phone, the young man kept peering over the counter catching segments of the attack.
"At first there was quite a struggle, but then she just lay there."
The victim is graduate student Xin Yang of Beijing, China. She had been in the United States just 13 days, studying at the Pamplin College of Business, before she was killed. She suffered multiple deadly injuries during the attack including severe wounds to the upper body, hands and forearm.
Cox described how the man stared at his victim "just cutting away" with a "blank and determined" look.
Within minutes, Virginia Tech Police Officer, Nicole Irvine, arrived on the scene and immediately saw Hiyang Zhu walking toward her, carrying the victim's head by the hair at his side.
"Put your hands in the air," yelled Irvine as she reached for her weapon. Zhu dropped the head and immediately complied before Irvine placed him under arrest.
After the hearing, Commonwealth's Attorney Brad Finch would not comment on his court presentation, which ended with Finch clearly indicating pre-meditation was a factor in this crime because the knife they say Zhu used did not come from the cafe.
He also pointed to the fact that Zhu had additional weapons in a backpack. Pre-meditation is a factor that must be met in order to seek the death penalty.
The defense did not put on any evidence, but did lead a line of cross examination that focused on statements made by Zhu following his arrest. The statements included a reference of Zhu asking for his Miranda Rights.
Police have said that Zhu and Yang did know each other. Both were new to the Virginia Tech campus. Zhu listened to Friday’s testimony through an interpreter.
Zhu has been in jail since the January 21 attack, but was just recently declared competent to stand trial. The judge certified his case to the grand jury and is set to meet July 14.
No comments:
Post a Comment