CA - Xuanyi Yu, Santa Clara, Murdered, January 2024

[Sundog]

Google engineer found 'spattered in blood' following alleged murder of wife in upscale California home: police

A Google software engineer from China has been arrested for allegedly murdering his wife, after California police found the 27-year-old "splattered in blood."

www.foxnews.com

A Google software engineer was found "spattered in blood," after he allegedly murdered his wife in a grisly attack at their California home, police said.

...

Authorities said that Yu suffered from "severe blunt force injuries to her head."

Xuanyi Yu's husband, Liren Chen, 27, has been charged with murder and faces prison if convicted, prosecutors said.

The 27-year-old's arraignment was delayed until Jan. 22 because Chen remains hospitalized, court records said.

 

[steeltowngirl]

Police found Chen’s wife dead after arriving at the house at 10:55 a.m. Tuesday to conduct a welfare check, court records say. The responding officer saw Chen through the window on his knees, staring blankly with his hands in the air and what appeared to be blood on his clothing.

After entering the home and taking Chen into custody, court records show officers found Yu’s body on the bedroom floor with severe blunt-force injuries to her head. The floor, wall and door of the room were covered in blood spatter.

“Chen’s right hand was extremely swollen and purple,” a police detective wrote. “He had blood on his clothing, his legs, arms, and hands.”

When asked how he hurt his hand, Chen allegedly told first responders, “I punched my wife.” He then indicated that the attack had occurred the day prior.

Google Engineer Killed Wife in Santa Clara Home, Police Say

Liren Chen, 27, allegedly beat his wife to death this week at their home.

sfstandard.com

 

[Sundog]

Police found Chen’s wife dead after arriving at the house at 10:55 a.m. Tuesday to conduct a welfare check, court records say. The responding officer saw Chen through the window on his knees, staring blankly with his hands in the air and what appeared to be blood on his clothing.

After entering the home and taking Chen into custody, court records show officers found Yu’s body on the bedroom floor with severe blunt-force injuries to her head. The floor, wall and door of the room were covered in blood spatter.

“Chen’s right hand was extremely swollen and purple,” a police detective wrote. “He had blood on his clothing, his legs, arms, and hands.”

When asked how he hurt his hand, Chen allegedly told first responders, “I punched my wife.” He then indicated that the attack had occurred the day prior.

Google Engineer Killed Wife in Santa Clara Home, Police Say

Liren Chen, 27, allegedly beat his wife to death this week at their home.

sfstandard.com

Did he beat her to death and it was so bad that his hand was so extremely swollen? Was he on drugs? Extreme rage so that he beat his wife to death? And this article says that he beat her to death the day before, did she die right away? Dear God, I hope she did and that she didn't suffer while dying overnight, and if she didn't die right away, I pray that she was unconscious during all that time.

 

[steeltowngirl]

Did he beat her to death and it was so bad that his hand was so extremely swollen? Was he on drugs? Extreme rage so that he beat his wife to death? And this article says that he beat her to death the day before, did she die right away? Dear God, I hope she did and that she didn't suffer while dying overnight, and if she didn't die right away, I pray that she was unconscious during all that time.

That’s how I’m interpreting it too. I hope (as you do) that she went quickly, but he was still in the house with her, which makes me think he was waiting for her to either wake up, or to slowly die. If she died the day before, what was he doing the next day? Was he contemplating suicide, or was he trying to figure out how to dispose of her body?

 

[Sundog]

Google engineer, 27, confesses to savagely beating his wife to death

The Google engineer charged with murder last week admitted to beating his wife to death with his fist, court documents obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com reveal.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Friend of the couple says that he had dinner with Chen and Yu the night before the murder (if I am understanding this correctly) and that Chen was behaving or appeared oddly, definitely out of character.

There is a photo of Xuanyi Yu in the gallery of photos. She was also a software engineer at Google, as was her husband.

I am trying to find information on the arraignment that was supposed to be held today, according to the news article that I posted above.

Also, one photo shows that someone left flowers at the front door of their house, in memory of Xuanyi Yu.

 

[Sundog]

Santa Clara Man Charged with Murdering His Wife - The Silicon Valley Voice

A Santa Clara man is accused of killing his wife. Police say Liren Chen was found near the body of his wife at their home on Valley Way.

www.svvoice.com

This article says that Chen has missed the last two arraignment dates because he is still hospitalized. The new date set for arraignment is Wednesday, January 24th, according to this MSM source.

One article uses the term "catatonic" to describe his state. Did he have a breakdown before he beat Xuanyi to death or after? Or is this simply a word that a journalist used to describe his state and not medically correct.

What was he like at work, had anyone seen signs of domestic violence? Did Xuanyi have any close friends that she may have confided in?

 

[steeltowngirl]

Google engineer, 27, confesses to savagely beating his wife to death

The Google engineer charged with murder last week admitted to beating his wife to death with his fist, court documents obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com reveal.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Friend of the couple says that he had dinner with Chen and Yu the night before the murder (if I am understanding this correctly) and that Chen was behaving or appeared oddly, definitely out of character.

There is a photo of Xuanyi Yu in the gallery of photos. She was also a software engineer at Google, as was her husband.

I am trying to find information on the arraignment that was supposed to be held today, according to the news article that I posted above.

Also, one photo shows that someone left flowers at the front door of their house, in memory of Xuanyi Yu.

Arraignment moved to 1/24/24 at 1:35 pm

C2400832​

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA vs. Chen, Liren​

Case Information​

Case Type: Complaint - Felony
Case Number: C2400832
Filing Date: 1/18/2024
Case Status: Active
Court Location: Hall of Justice

Public Portal - Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara

Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara Case Portal

traffic.scscourt.org

 

[steeltowngirl]

Santa Clara Man Charged with Murdering His Wife - The Silicon Valley Voice

A Santa Clara man is accused of killing his wife. Police say Liren Chen was found near the body of his wife at their home on Valley Way.

www.svvoice.com

This article says that Chen has missed the last two arraignment dates because he is still hospitalized. The new date set for arraignment is Wednesday, January 24th, according to this MSM source.

One article uses the term "catatonic" to describe his state. Did he have a breakdown before he beat Xuanyi to death or after? Or is this simply a word that a journalist used to describe his state and not medically correct.

What was he like at work, had anyone seen signs of domestic violence? Did Xuanyi have any close friends that she may have confided in?

She had many professional connections. Someone has memorialized her LinkedIn. Xuanyi Yu - San Francisco Bay Area | Professional Profile | LinkedIn

Wonder if she felt comfortable confiding in anyone? If they both worked at Google, it may have been awkward to discuss her personal life.

Did she have family in the US?

 

[steeltowngirl]

Chen was acting oddly at dinner with the friend the night before. So something was brewing. Medical event, stress or rage, drug issue… other possibilities? Worry over potential layoff?

Nothing excuses murdering XY. The articles keep mentioning help for DV. I hope she hadn’t previously reported it and it was swept under the rug by LE.

 

[Sundog]

Google engineer from China accused of beating wife to death in US

A Google software engineer from China is facing trial for murder after he allegedly beat his wife to death in their Silicon Valley home in the United States.

www.scmp.com

A little bit of background on Xuanyi Yu, what province she is from in mainland China, her educational background, etc. Nothing from family members yet or close friends abroad or here in the U.S. At least nothing that I have seen yet.

 

[Sundog]

I wonder if Liren Chen, the murder suspect, is hospitalized because he is considered suicidal. Would LE be able to transport him from the hospital to an arraignment if that is the case? Would psychiatric orders preclude this, I wonder? And could they have the arraignment from his hospital room?

The couple seemed to earn high salaries as software engineers at Google, so I doubt he would be eligbile for a public attorney.

Both Chen and Yu were incredibly high achievers, admitted after high school qualifying exams (like the British educational system) into one of the best universities in Beijing.

What a tragedy. Xuanyi had such talent and from her LinkedIn page, she seemed to be enjoying her work and had great pride in the challenging and high profile projects she was working on. Her adult life was just beginning and held such promise.

 

[Sundog]

Xuanyi's Facebook page, changed to "Remembering" Xuanyi Yu.

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www.facebook.com

 

[steeltowngirl]

I wonder if Liren Chen, the murder suspect, is hospitalized because he is considered suicidal. Would LE be able to transport him from the hospital to an arraignment if that is the case? Would psychiatric orders preclude this, I wonder? And could they have the arraignment from his hospital room?

The couple seemed to earn high salaries as software engineers at Google, so I doubt he would be eligbile for a public attorney.

Both Chen and Yu were incredibly high achievers, admitted after high school qualifying exams (like the British educational system) into one of the best universities in Beijing.

What a tragedy. Xuanyi had such talent and from her LinkedIn page, she seemed to be enjoying her work and had great pride in the challenging and high profile projects she was working on. Her adult life was just beginning and held such promise.

I’m thinking they wouldn’t arraign him while under psychiatric hold. But then again, Lindsay Clancy was arraigned on homicide charges while in a Massachusetts hospital for both medical and mental health reasons, (serious risk of imminent self-harm).

I am worried Chen may have the funds to be eligible for bond and flee to China.

A neighbor described them as shut-ins, so I take from that they were private people, likely almost always working from home and/or at the office.

Did he snap, or was there truly a history of DV?
Either way, Chen extinguished a bright young woman‘s life.

He will face the consequences.

 

[Sundog]

I’m thinking they wouldn’t arraign him while under psychiatric hold. But then again, Lindsay Clancy was arraigned on homicide charges while in a Massachusetts hospital for both medical and mental health reasons, (serious risk of imminent self-harm).

I am worried Chen may have the funds to be eligible for bond and flee to China.

A neighbor described them as shut-ins, so I take from that they were private people, likely almost always working from home and/or at the office.

Did he snap, or was there truly a history of DV?
Either way, Chen extinguished a bright young woman‘s life.

He will face the consequences.

Would he get bond given the brutality of this murder, even if he has a private attorney?

Also, if he gets bond, they would take his passport, so not sure about fleeing to China. He wouldn't be able to get on a flight.

If he snapped, what made him snap? Was he having problems at work? Did he fear being laid off, losing his job? Why did they have a dinner party/have guests for dinner the night or the night before this happened if he was already in some kind of odd state? Was Xuanyi looking for help in her own way, or was this a pre-planned dinner with friends that they went ahead with even as his state deteriorated? Did she think this would help him?

So many questions.

But absolutely agree with you, even if he snapped, went into a psychotic state, or whatever, he has to pay the price. Xuanyi was brutally murdered and justice must be done.

 

[steeltowngirl]

Would he get bond given the brutality of this murder, even if he has a private attorney?

Also, if he gets bond, they would take his passport, so not sure about fleeing to China. He wouldn't be able to get on a flight.

If he snapped, what made him snap? Was he having problems at work? Did he fear being laid off, losing his job? Why did they have a dinner party/have guests for dinner the night or the night before this happened if he was already in some kind of odd state? Was Xuanyi looking for help in her own way, or was this a pre-planned dinner with friends that they went ahead with even as his state deteriorated? Did she think this would help him?

So many questions.

But absolutely agree with you, even if he snapped, went into a psychotic state, or whatever, he has to pay the price. Xuanyi was brutally murdered and justice must be done.

You're right - I was thinking California might have a more lenient bail law, but I just found a recent example of a DV murder in Los Gatos - Ying Ying Yu was found dead and her husband is being held without bail.

That said, lack of passport should stop him, but recalling Kaitlin Armstrong and how she 'stole' her sister's passport and made it to Costa Rica.

Arraignment today, right? I hope this case stays in the news.

 

[Sundog]

Public Portal - Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara

Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara Case Portal

traffic.scscourt.org

Link for court file on arraignment hearing for Liren Chen today at 1:35 p.m. No attorney representation listed. Could be he has an attorney but it hasn't been entered into the online information yet. Chen's case number is C2400832.

Two earlier dates were listed for arraignments with notation "HELD" and we know they were held over while Chen was hospitalized.

Edited to add - To access Chen's case file, click on Dept 23, then scroll down to find his name. If the links don't work (sometimes they work for me, sometimes they don't), then go to the "Search" link at the top of the page and put in his case number or search by his name.

 

[Sundog]

You're right - I was thinking California might have a more lenient bail law, but I just found a recent example of a DV murder in Los Gatos - Ying Ying Yu was found dead and her husband is being held without bail.

That said, lack of passport should stop him, but recalling Kaitlin Armstrong and how she 'stole' her sister's passport and made it to Costa Rica.

Arraignment today, right? I hope this case stays in the news.

You're right - I was thinking California might have a more lenient bail law, but I just found a recent example of a DV murder in Los Gatos - Ying Ying Yu was found dead and her husband is being held without bail.

That said, lack of passport should stop him, but recalling Kaitlin Armstrong and how she 'stole' her sister's passport and made it to Costa Rica.

Arraignment today, right? I hope this case stays in the news.

About using someone else's passport, he may be able to get on an overseas flight with someone else's passport, but if he was returning to the PRC, they use facial recognition software now with their passports so it would be really difficult to get by PRC customs once his plane arrived. If he was going to another country to flee, then he might need a visa to get into another country, not sure which countries a PRC passport holder can enter without a visitor's visa or other kind of visa. Not sure about Canada either. But he likely has U.S. permanent residency by now, or perhaps American citizenship, they have been in the U.S. for quite some time (studying at UC San Diego and then working for over five years in California, IIRC. If he has a U.S. passport, then he would need a visa to enter the PRC. He would have given up PRC citizenship automatically when becoming an American citizen. PRC doesn't allow dual citizenship.

When they finally hold the arraignment and he has an attorney, we might learn more about his citizenship status, etc.

 

[Sundog]

The case file has been updated for Liren Chen at the Santa Clara Court, and it says that today's hearing status is "HELD" (held over), and that the new date for his arraignment is scheduled for January 26 at 1:35 p.m. Either they think he will be able to attend, or they are required to keep scheduling the arraignment every 48 hours to meet legal rights of accused.

Case number C2400832

Public Portal - Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara

Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara Case Portal

traffic.scscourt.org

 

[Sundog]

The case file for Liren Chen also includes information now that he has a lawyer representing him. Name of lawyer is Wesley James Schroeder.

So perhaps the Friday arraignment (Jan 26) will take place after all, I guess we'll see.

San Jose Criminal Defense Lawyer | Wesley J. Schroeder Attorney at Law

San Jose criminal defense lawyer Wesley J. Schroeder serves clients charged with drug crimes, sex crimes and abuse. Call 408-277-0377 for free consultation.

san-jose-criminal-defense-law.com

 

[steeltowngirl]

The case file for Liren Chen also includes information now that he has a lawyer representing him. Name of lawyer is Wesley James Schroeder.

So perhaps the Friday arraignment (Jan 26) will take place after all, I guess we'll see.

San Jose Criminal Defense Lawyer | Wesley J. Schroeder Attorney at Law

San Jose criminal defense lawyer Wesley J. Schroeder serves clients charged with drug crimes, sex crimes and abuse. Call 408-277-0377 for free consultation.

san-jose-criminal-defense-law.com

Interesting. His attorney‘s blog features several articles related to DV.

Criminal Defense Blog | San Jose Attorney | CA

Read more about recent criminal law news in San Jose, Santa Clara County and throughout California. Learn about your rights and options.

san-jose-criminal-defense-law.com