Kaohsiung prosecutors yesterday wrapped up their investigation into the murder of Liu Yu-chih (劉郁智) with a decision not to press charges against the alleged murderer, Huang Ching-ya (黃靖亞), because he committed suicide.
The Kaohsiung Prosecutors’ Office said 27-year-old Huang, a former Kaohsiung Medical University student, visited Liu on April 27 and allegedly dropped at least four sleeping pills into Liu’s alcoholic drink.
Prosecutors said that with the amount of drugs found in Liu’s system, he would have fallen asleep between 90 minutes to four hours after consuming the drink. Huang allegedly strangled Liu and then tried to burn his body on the stove top in an attempt to make the incident look like an accidental fire.
According to prosecutors, Huang and Liu had both been courting a female student surnamed Yang (楊), who had agreed on April 26 to start dating Liu.
Yang told prosecutors that although both men were interested in her, she chose Liu, though she was on friendly terms with Huang, adding that she had not expected it would result in Liu’s death.
Yang said she had not learned of Liu’s death in the two days between his murder and Huang’s suicide. She said she simply thought Liu was still angry with her for being on friendly terms with Huang.
Huang asked to meet her on April 29 and restated his feelings for her, Yang said, adding that she turned him down again because she believed Liu was still alive.
Huang confessed to a lawyer that he killed Liu and said that he planned to turn himself in, police said. Huang promised to meet the lawyer on April 30, but committed suicide later on April 29.
The prosecutors’ office declared the case closed without further charges.
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