By: centraljersey.com
MONROE – Tianle Li, of Stanley Drive, pleaded not guilty Feb. 10 to the charges of hindering apprehension and causing the death of her husband, Xiaoye Wang, who died of thallium poisoning 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 Feb. 9 and pleaded not guilty at a court appearance 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, claiming to have 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.
"About a year ago she just stopped talking to people," Ms. Shah said. "We know too many times the police came. We thought maybe the husband and wife were fighting."
"They kept to themselves," said Gina Barbera, another neighbor. "It’s scary that this was happening over there. We knew something was going on but didn’t know it would go this far."
She added, "It’s a terrible situation. Especially for the baby who’s not going to have two parents to raise him."
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 hearing Feb. 10.
"We do not suspect the aunt to be involved," Mr. Sewitch said.
Prosecutors did not mention any suspects other than Ms. Li at this point.
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.
As the symptoms got worse, Mr. Wang lapsed into a coma, he said. Mr. Sewitch also said nurses and medical specialists initially were suspicious of Mr. Wang’s symptoms.
In addition to the symptoms, nurses also suspected thallium poisoning since a similar murder by poison case had occurred in China in the 1990s, Mr. Sewitch said. He did not know the details of that case.
He said murder cases involving poisoning don’t occur frequently.
"It’s not a common form of homicide," he said.
Investigators determined Ms. Li, who had been employed for 10 years as a chemist at Bristol-Myers Squibb offices in Lawrence, 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.
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 refused to mention 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 the hindering charge 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 apprehension 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.