Murder of Yang Xin
Encyclopedia
The murder of Yang Xin took place on 21 January 2009 at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
(Virginia Tech) in Blacksburg
, Virginia
, United States
. Yang Xin, a 22-year-old Chinese
graduate student who had just arrived from Beijing
on January 8, was decapitated
with a kitchen knife in a cafe on the campus. Fellow student Zhu Haiyang ( Zhū Hǎiyáng), 25, was arrested at the scene. Zhu and Yang had known one another. Zhu was charged with first degree murder and was subsequently convicted and sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Yang had previously graduated from Memorial University of Newfoundland
in 2007.
Two years earlier, Virginia Tech had also been the scene of the Virginia Tech massacre
.
University president Charles W. Steger said that he was troubled by racist comments attacking foreigners in e-mail, on blogs and in letters to the editor. He also said that foreign students are extremely under-represented in crime compared to their number.
A grand jury certified the murder charge against Haiyang Zhu on July 22. On December 21, 2009, Zhu plead guilty to the charges. On April 19th, 2010, he was sentenced to life in prison without parole in Montgomery County Circuit Court.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, popularly known as Virginia Tech , is a public land-grant university with the main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia with other research and educational centers throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and internationally.Founded in...
(Virginia Tech) in Blacksburg
Blacksburg, Virginia
Blacksburg is an incorporated town located in Montgomery County, Virginia, United States, with a population of 42,620 at the 2010 census. Blacksburg, Christiansburg, and Radford are the three principal jurisdictions of the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford Metropolitan Statistical Area which...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Yang Xin, a 22-year-old Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
graduate student who had just arrived from Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
on January 8, was decapitated
Decapitation
Decapitation is the separation of the head from the body. Beheading typically refers to the act of intentional decapitation, e.g., as a means of murder or execution; it may be accomplished, for example, with an axe, sword, knife, wire, or by other more sophisticated means such as a guillotine...
with a kitchen knife in a cafe on the campus. Fellow student Zhu Haiyang ( Zhū Hǎiyáng), 25, was arrested at the scene. Zhu and Yang had known one another. Zhu was charged with first degree murder and was subsequently convicted and sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Yang had previously graduated from Memorial University of Newfoundland
Memorial University of Newfoundland
Memorial University of Newfoundland, is a comprehensive university located primarily in St...
in 2007.
Two years earlier, Virginia Tech had also been the scene of the Virginia Tech massacre
Virginia Tech massacre
The Virginia Tech massacre was a school shooting that took place on April 16, 2007, on the campus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia, United States. In two separate attacks, approximately two hours apart, the perpetrator, Seung-Hui Cho, killed 32 people...
.
University president Charles W. Steger said that he was troubled by racist comments attacking foreigners in e-mail, on blogs and in letters to the editor. He also said that foreign students are extremely under-represented in crime compared to their number.
A grand jury certified the murder charge against Haiyang Zhu on July 22. On December 21, 2009, Zhu plead guilty to the charges. On April 19th, 2010, he was sentenced to life in prison without parole in Montgomery County Circuit Court.