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4:00 p.m.
By Ashley Roberts
WSLS Reporter
aroberts@wsls.com
It all started at 7:06 p.m Wednesday Night when police received a call that a female student was being assaulted in the cafe at the Graduate Life Center at Donaldson-Brown.
It ended with what police are now calling a horrific crime scene.
Virginia Tech Police Chief Wendell Flinchum says the first officer arrived within one minute. "She found the suspect in the café along with the victim," said Flinchum. "It was a horrific crime scene and the victim had been decapitated."
The victim is 22 year-old Xin Yang.
Police say 25 year-old Haiyang Zhu killed her.
Police say they were having coffee together at the Au Bon Pain restaurant before the murder happened.
"The incident points to an isolated, very personal tragedy," said University President Charles Steger.
According to the university, Yang had just arrived at Virginia Tech on January 8 as an accounting student.
Zhu began his studies in the fall of 2008...both international graduate students.
According the university, the victim had listed the suspect as one of her emergency contacts.
Police aren't sure if they met at the university *or* knew each other prior to attending.
Police say before Wednesday's murder Zhu had not been under review or had any contact with the Virginia Tech Police Department, Blacksburg Police Department or the university's threat assessment team.
On Wednesday that all changed. "There are some details in the investigation that we're not going to be able to talk about at this point after consultation with the Commonwealth's Attorney," said Flinchum. "But, obviously there's going to be a court case in the future on this."
The university is providing counseling support and assistance to the people who witnessed the horrific crime, as well as any other students and employees who need help.
As for the Au Bon Pain restaurant, University Spokesman Larry Hincker says it will remain closed until the space is restored back to its appropriate condition.
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3:40 p.m.
Read the search warrant for Hiayang Zhu's home
3:18 p.m.
Below is the Hokie Passport (student ID) photo of Xin Yang, the woman who was killed
1:08 p.m.
25-year-old Hiayang Zhu has made an appearance before a judge in Montgomery County.
The international graduate student is charged with first degree murder in the death of Xin Yang, a 22-year-old graduate student. Virginia Tech say both are from China.
At a news conference late Thursday morning, Virginia Tech leaders and Police investigators say Yang and Zhu were having coffee at the Au Bon Pain cafe inside the Graduate Life Center at Donaldson Brown, when the attack happened. Police say Zhu decapitated Yang with a large kitchen knife.
Virginia Tech Police Chief Wendell Flinchum says officers arrived on scene one minute after receiving the first 911 call. Dispatch says they received two 911 calls about a woman being assaulted.
When the first officer arrived, Chief Flinchum says the officer found both the victim Yang, and Zhu. The officer noticed Zhu had blood on his clothes, and Yang had been decapitated. Flinchum described it as a "gruesome scene."
Chief Flinchum told reporters that to the best of his knowledge, no one intervened during the attack, and there were approximately seven witnesses.
Virginia Tech leaders say Yang listed Zhu as an emergency contact in paperwork filed with the university.
Reporter Rex Bowman with our Richmond newsroom the Richmond Times-Dispatch, asked Chief Flinchum if the two had argued, or if witnesses heard Zhu scream anything before the attack. Flinchum said they were waiting for a consultation with the Commonwealth’s Attorney, and could not release those details of the investigation.
Flinchum later said neither Virginia Tech Police records, nor records from the neighboring Blacksburg Police Department and the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office showed any previous contact with Zhu.
Tech leaders said Yang had not been at Virginia Tech for very long.
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11:38 a.m. News release from Virginia Tech
BLACKSBURG, Va., January 22, 2009 -- Virginia Tech Police have confirmed the name of the female graduate student murdered yesterday evening in the university's Graduate Life Center at Donaldson Brown.
She was Xin Yang, a 22-year-old graduate student from Beijing, China. She had just arrived at Virginia Tech Jan. 8 to begin her studies in accounting in the Pamplin College of Business. She was a resident of the Graduate Life Center.
Yang was killed at the Au Bon Pain restaurant on the first floor of the Graduate Life Center at approximately 7 p.m. Wednesday evening. Haiyang Zhu, age 25, from Ningbo, China, was charged with first-degree murder and is being held without bond at Montgomery County jail. He was a Ph.D. graduate student majoring in agricultural and applied economics. He began his studies at Virginia Tech at the start of the 2008 fall semester. Based on emergency contact records maintained by the university, it is known that Zhu and Yang knew each other.
They were in the Au Bon Pain restaurant when he attacked her. Witnesses indicated no signs of argument and that Zhu attacked her with a knife.
Zhu had not been under review or had come before the workings of the Virginia Tech Police Department, or the Town of Blacksburg Police Department, or the university’s Threat Assessment Team or CARE Team.
The victim’s mother, who is in China, was notified last night via telephone.
University leadership remains concerned about the welfare of the university student community, and particularly the community of Chinese Scholars. The university has counselors on the scene at the Graduate Life Center to assist students, staff, faculty, or others who seek assistance.
The crime scene is secured, but Graduate Life Center residents are free to come and go. Police interviewed several witnesses and are providing counseling support and assistance.
11:33 a.m.
Virginia Tech police say a female graduate student was decapitated on campus Wednesday night
Tech Police says the suspect, Hiyang Zhu used a large kitchen knife.
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Updated Thursday 11:15 a.m.
In a news conference, police announced that the victim was decapitated.
Ten On Your Side Reporter Scott Leamon has been going through court documents this morning. He says that a search warrant says that witnesses told police that the victim and suspect had been seated together earlier in the evening, and it appeared as if they knew each other. The search warrant also says that the victim listed the suspect as her emergency contact on offical Virginia Tech records.
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Updated Thursday 11:01 a.m.
We're learning more information about the suspect. Court documents show Haiyang Zhu has been living in the New River Valley since August 2008. He was pursuing a PhD.
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Updated Thursday 10:02 a.m.
Virginia Tech to hold news conference at 11am. WSLS.com to live stream - WATCH IT HERE at 11
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Letter from Charles Steger about the killing
Updated Thursday 8:04 a.m.
Mugshot of suspect Haiyang Zhu added.
He is being held without bond.
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12:04 a.m. Thursday
By WSLS News Staff
news@wsls.com
Virginia Tech just sent out an updated news release.
Virginia Tech Police charged 25-year-old Haiyang Zhu with first degree murder, for the deadly stabbing of an internation Asian female graduate student that took place Wednesday night.
Officers say Zhu is from China, and is also an international student at the school. Police believe the two knew each other.
Police have not released the name of the victim, pending notification of her family overseas.
Zhu is being held without bond.
Tech leaders say students living at the Graduate Life Center in Donaldson-Brown can enter and leave their rooms. Others are ebing asked to stay away from the area tonight. Tech plans to re-open the building Thursday morning.
Students are reminded that campus counseling resources are available through the Cook Counseling Center (231-6557), the Dean of Students Office (231-3787) and the Graduate Life Center, which will have counselors available beginning at 8 a.m. Thursday morning.Students are reminded that campus counseling resources are available through the Cook Counseling Center (231-6557), the Dean of Students Office (231-3787) and the Graduate Life Center, which will have counselors available beginning at 8:00 a.m. Thursday morning.
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