发信人: Crownv (E+G=M), 信区: Virginia
标 题: Suspect had served as Virginia Tech victim抯 mentor
发信站: BBS 未名空间站 (Tue Jan 27 15:09:45 2009), 转信

At Virginia Tech, newly arrived international students from China are
usually paired with other international students who have been at the school
at least one semester to help them acclimate to their new environment. Xin
Yang arrived on campus Jan. 8 and, university officials said, met her
assigned buddy, Haiyang Zhu.

He spent the next two weeks showing her around campus, officials said,
helping her look for a place to live. The two became familiar enough in that
short time that Yang listed Zhu as one of two people to contact in case of
an emergency.

Friends and former teachers of Zhu, 25, spent Friday in shock as
investigators continued searching his Blacksburg, Va., townhouse, laptop
computer, cellphone and other personal items to try to figure out why the
promising Ph.D. economics student allegedly cut off the head of the 22-year-
old woman he had only recently met.

Money problems
Chinese-language Web pages of Zhu抯 began to surface Friday, indicating that
he had money problems. But university officials cautioned that one site in
particular, which displays Zhu抯 mug shot and talks about him wanting to
kill himself or someone else because of losses in the stock market, appears
to be a 搕otal fake.�

Still, Will Segar, Zhu抯 landlord at Blacksburg抯 Sturbridge Square
Apartments, said Zhu acted 搒trange� and was often 揾ostile and belligerent.
� He said Zhu was so concerned about money that he refused to turn the heat
on in the three-bedroom townhouse he shared with two roommates. Instead,
Segar said, throughout the fall, Zhu gathered sticks and dumped them in the
middle of the living room to burn in the fireplace. The apartment had no
furniture at the time, Segar said.

揌e told my maintenance guy that it cost too much to heat the place, that he
抎 lost a lot of money in the stock market,� Segar said Friday.

When pipes began to freeze and a neighbor complained about balky plumbing,
Segar installed a thermostat set permanently to 65 degrees, he said. Zhu
turned it off at the breaker, he said. Segar said Zhu later accused
Sturbridge staff of stealing his shoes. Segar said he last saw Zhu about a
week ago when he brought Yang to the rental office so she could rent an
apartment. But when Segar asked for Yang抯 passport, visa and Virginia Tech
ID, Zhu said something to her in Chinese, and she balked.

揑t looked like he was definitely in charge,� Segar said. 揝he was looking
to him for advice.�

Zhu抯 roommates did not respond to several phone and e-mail messages. Segar
said they 揹isappeared� after Wednesday抯 attack.

Search for motive
How a friend and protector could become an alleged executioner remains a
mystery as authorities continued to search for a motive in the vicious
attack. Virginia Tech and state police referred all calls to the university.

Authorities gave this account: Virginia Tech police, responding to two
frantic 911 calls about 7 p.m. Wednesday, found Zhu standing in the Au Bon
Pain cafe on campus, with Yang抯 severed head in his hands, according to an
affidavit. A large, bloody kitchen knife lay nearby, and Zhu抯 backpack, on
the floor, was filled with other sharp weapons. Seven people witnessed the
attack, which came without as much as a raised voice as the two drank coffee.

揂ll of his friends are very, very shocked,� said Kim Beisecker, director of
Virginia Tech抯 Cranwell International Center.

揟hey all indicated that they would never have expected this of him and are
searching for understanding, for an explanation, as we all are. And we just
don抰 have one.�

Beisecker said both students participated in activities at the center. 揝he
has just the sweetest, bubbly personality,� Beisecker said. 揝he really did
make an impression with her warmth in just those two weeks. He was polite
and helpful.�

Yang抯 friends hastily put together a tribute site dedicated to her memory
on Facebook Friday, calling her a 揵eautiful person� and wishing that she
would 揜est in Peace.�

Jailed without bond
Representatives from the Chinese Embassy in Washington met with university
officials Friday and were scheduled to meet with Zhu.



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