Iowa-slaying suspect to face China charge

A former international student at the University of Iowa will face a homicide charge in China after surrendering to authorities. Xiangnan Li, 23, will be charged in the death of 20-year-old Tong Shao, whose body was found in the trunk of a car in Iowa City, Iowa, last fall.

"We are unable to extradite him (Li) back to the US," Janet Lyness, Johnson County, Iowa, attorney told China Daily on Tuesday.

There is no formal extradition treaty between the United States and China. Iowa City is home to the University of Iowa and is located in Johnson County.

Li turned himself in to police in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, on May 13, according to China's Ministry of Public Security. Iowa City police said Monday that authorities in Wenzhou arrested Li on suspicion of intentional murder.

Under Chinese criminal law, Chinese citizens are subject to Chinese prosecution for any crimes they commit abroad. Punishments in China for intentional homicide include the death penalty, life imprisonment and imprisonment for more than 10 years.

Shao and Li had an "emotional entanglement" before Shao's death by strangulation, police said without releasing further details. Li bought a one-way ticket to China on Sept 7, 2014. A missing person's report on Shao was received by police in Iowa on Sept 17, and her body was found on Sept 26.

Lyness said authorities in Iowa had developed a strong case against Li. "We would have charged him with first-degree murder if he was tried in Iowa," she said. First-degree murder means police and prosecutors believe the suspect not only killed the victim, but did so with intent.

Officials believe Li may have wanted to kill Shao because she was attempting to break off their relationship. Shao was a junior at Iowa State University in Ames at the time of her death.

Lyness said Li was a suspect early in the investigation. At the invitation of the US, China's public security ministry sent investigators to Iowa earlier this month.

"They met with witnesses and reviewed evidence," Lyness said. "My understanding is that a lot of the information from cell phone records and DNA testing can be used in a Chinese court."

"They finally caught him. I feel relieved," Shao Chunsheng, father of the victim, said in an interview with CNN. Shao said he was told by police in Wenzhou that they had been monitoring Li's movements since early April.

"They located him, but sometimes he disappeared," said Shao. "A Chinese saying goes, 'A murderer should pay for his crime with his life.' I hope Li will be brought to justice."

"Our challenges in this case included distance and language," Lyness said. Iowa does not have the death penalty.

Like other US colleges and universities, Lyness said the University of Iowa has a growing Chinese enrollment estimated at 3,000. In May 2014, the business school commencement was streamed online with Chinese translations and commentary.

Wang Xilu, the former president of the Chinese student union at Iowa State, was involved in the case since Shao was reported missing.

"We were totally shocked, since where we study (Ames) is considered one of the safest campuses in the US," Wang told China Daily.

Wang didn't know Shao until she was reported missing by her friends. He called police and tried contacting acquaintances, along with the Chinese consulate and other Chinese students in Iowa.

After Li was arrested in China, Wang said the news went viral among Chinese students in Iowa. "Justice has long arms," Wang said. "That's what we all think."

Hong Xiao and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

paulwelitzkin@chinadailyusa.com

(China Daily USA 07/01/2015 page2)