MONROE — Tianle Li appeared in court Feb. 9 and pleaded not guilty to charges of murdering her husband, Xiaoye Wang, who authorities said died after being poisoned with the toxic metal thallium.
Li, 40, was charged Feb. 8 in the death ofWang, a 39-year-old computer software engineer. The couple, who were in the process of getting a divorce, shared a home at 26 Stanley Drive in the township.
An investigation by Monroe Police Sgt. Jason Grosser and Investigator Jeffrey Temple of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office determined that Li and Wang had been involved in a series of domestic disturbances since April 2009, according to the prosecutor’s office. Li, who worked as a chemist at Bristol-Myers Squibb for the past 10 years, is accused of obtaining an undisclosed quantity of thallium and administering a portion of the substance to her husband between December and January.
After becoming ill with what appeared to be flu-like symptoms, Wang checked himself into University Medical Center at Princeton on Jan. 14, the prosecutor’s office said. Hospital employees suspected that Wang may have been poisoned, after a nurse recognized the symptoms and administered poison testing, said Jim O’Neill of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office. A series of tests, completed on Jan. 25, determined that Wang had been poisoned with thallium, authorities said. Officials at the hospital notified authorities, who then began the investigation.
Wang died at the hospital on Jan. 26.
Authorities would not comment regarding the way in which the substance was allegedly administered to Wang, nor would they say whether he had been to the hospital on any prior occasions.
Hazardous materials specialists who undertook an extensive investigation at Wang’s home concluded that no one else was exposed to thallium.
Li was initially arrested on Jan. 28 and charged with a count of hindering her own apprehension for allegedly providing police with false statements during the investigation into Wang’s death.
She is being held at the Middlesex County Adult Correction Center in North Brunswick. Her bail was set at $150,000 on the hindering charge. Superior Court Judge Bradley Ferencz set bail at $4 million on the murder charge, bringing the total to $4.15 million.
The couple’s 2-year-old child is in the custody of the state Division of Youth and Family Services, according to the prosecutor’s office.
Li’s attorney, Steven Altman of New Brunswick, did not return calls seeking comment for this story.