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Woman may face trial in China for murder in Indiana

A Purdue University graduate student's wife is likely to be prosecuted in China on charges she killed her husband in Indiana and then used his passport to enter the Asian country.

Whether Chen Danlei, 28, is tried in China for the death of her husband, Lei He, 28, hinges on the results of a psychological examination requested by her attorney, a Chinese public security official said.

She is currently being held in Shanghai.

``If we do not find any psychological problems, we will prosecute in compliance with Chinese criminal law -- definitely,'' Zhang Guiyong, division chief of the Ministry of Public Security in Beijing, said.

If convicted of homicide under Chinese law, Chen could face penalties ranging from three years in prison to death, depending on the circumstances of the crime.

The US does not have an extradition treaty with China. Zhang said it was not clear if police from Indiana might be asked to testify.

Chinese officials discussed the case last week with Lafayette police.

Lei's dismembered remains were found Aug. 29 in the trunk of his car, which was parked near O'Hare International Airport in Rosemont, Illinois.

He had been reported missing by friends at Purdue a few days earlier, about the same time Chinese authorities detained his wife in Shanghai after she tried to enter her native country using his passport.

Lei, a Chinese national from Shanghai, was studying mechanical engineering at Purdue.

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