Wyoming student faces murder charge
A graduate student was arrested at LAX and now faces a potential life sentence for adding a neurotoxin to a colleague's tea.
By Thabo Hoffmann ·
A new court document filed Thursday adds an attempted second-degree murder charge to the case against Aili Wang, a 32-year-old University of Wyoming graduate student. This additional count carries a potential sentence of 20 years to life in prison. Wang previously faced one felony charge for aggravated assault and battery.
The alleged crime involves the introduction of acrylamide, a neurotoxin, into the tea of a fellow graduate student identified in records as K.T. Police began their investigation after K.T. began experiencing symptoms. A chemistry professor later tested water from K.T.'s coffee maker and confirmed the presence of the chemical, according to a police affidavit.
Court records indicate Wang, a microbiology student, used her university email address to purchase acrylamide on eBay twice during the summer. She subsequently asked the online retailer to remove her order history and close her account. On September 27, surveillance footage captured Wang accessing K.T.'s desk. The video shows her taking photos, handling notebooks, and rinsing his mug with liquid from her own cup.
Authorities arrested Wang on October 6 at Los Angeles International Airport. Prosecutors allege she was attempting to leave the country and return to China. Albany County Circuit Court Judge Robert Sanford raised her bond from an initial $200,000 to $1.5 million in cash-only funds after a request from prosecutors.
Wang is scheduled to appear in court on Monday for her preliminary hearing.
Source: Oil City News
