By: centraljersey.com
Tianle Li of Stanley Drive, Monroe, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to the murder of her husband, Xiaoye Wang, who died from a rare poison at the University Medical Center at Princeton on Jan. 26.
Ms. Li, a chemist who worked for Bristol-Myers Squibb in Lawrence, was charged with murder Tuesday and entered her plea the next day at state Superior Court in New Brunswick.
Mr. Wang, a 39-year-old computer software engineer who lived with Ms. Li at 26 Stanley Drive, checked himself into the hospital 12 days before his death with flu-like symptoms. Ms. Li, 40, and Mr. Wang were involved in a series of domestic disturbances prior to the alleged murder. Several neighbors confirmed police had been called to the house several times over the past year and a half.
A neighbor who chose not to reveal her name said police came to the house "three to four times a month" for at least the past year.
Another neighbor, Bharti Shah, of 21 Stanley Drive, said the general opinion of Ms. Li was she was a nice person, even though she didn’t talk to people in the neighborhood often.
Mr. Wang and Ms. Li’s 2-year-old son as well as an aunt also lived at the home on Stanley Drive. The child is staying at a foster home until family from China takes guardianship over him, said Nicholas Sewitch, Middlesex County assistant prosecutor, at a briefing after the court appearance Wednesday.
Prosecutors did not mention any suspects other than Ms. Li.
In the weeks prior to the alleged murder of Mr. Wang, the police were called to his house more than five times, Mr. Sewitch said.
Ms. Li and Mr. Wang had filed for a divorce, which was supposed to be finalized Jan. 14, the same day Mr. Wang checked himself into University Medical Center at Princeton while complaining of symptoms such as lung ailments and congestion, Mr. Sewitch said.
Mr. Wang lapsed into a coma and nurses and medical specialists were suspicious of his symptoms, he said.
He said nurses suspected thallium poisoning. Investigators determined Ms. Li had poisoned Mr. Wang within the past two months prior to his death after obtaining an "undisclosed quantity of thallium."
Mr. Wang was diagnosed with having been poisoned with thallium after a series of tests completed Jan. 25, and he died the next day, according to a press release released by investigators.
Thallium is a highly toxic chemical that has been used in rat poisons and insecticides, according to the online encyclopedia Wikipedia, which said because of its use for murder, thallium has gained the nicknames "The Poisoner’s Poison" and "Inheritance Powder."
Officials at the hospital notified authorities as soon as they learned Mr. Wang was poisoned, and the investigation began immediately, said the press release.
Results of an autopsy performed by the Middlesex County Medical Examiner’s Office also concluded Mr. Wang died from thallium poisoning, said the press release. It further determined the manner of death was homicide, the release added.
When police inquired about Mr. Wang’s death, Ms. Li "provided police with false information," Mr. Sewitch said.
He added, "She basically lied to the police." Investigators and authorities declined to reveal what false information Ms. Li gave to police.
Hazardous materials specialists investigated Mr. Wang’s home Jan. 27, the day after his death, and concluded no one else was exposed to thallium.
Ms. Li initially was arrested Jan. 28 and is being held at the Middlesex County Adult Correction Center in North Brunswick. Her bail was set at $150,000 on a charge of hindering apprehension and $4 million on the murder charge.
"I believe the bail of $4 million needs to be addressed," said Steven Altman, Ms. Li’s attorney, at the court appearance.
He said he also filed for a probable cause hearing on the hindering charge.
Judge Michael Toto set no date for a grand jury, but it tentatively will take place within the next three months, according to Mr. Sewitch.
"I’m not going to set another date at this time," the judge said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Sgt. Jason Grosser at the Monroe Township Police Department at 732-521-0222 or Investigator Jeffrey Temple of the Middlesex County prosecutor’s office at 732-745-3373.
