A Chinese graduate student at the University of Wyoming has been arrested for poisoning the tea of their classmates.

A Chinese graduate student at the University of Wyoming has been arrested for poisoning the tea of their classmates. (People News/AI-generated image)

[People News] Wang Aili, who is pursuing a degree in microbiology at the University of Wyoming, was taken into custody for allegedly poisoning the tea of a classmate with whom she had a strained relationship, despite the classmate having promising career prospects. After being interrogated by the police, Wang attempted to flee the United States but was apprehended at the airport.

As reported by the Associated Press on Wednesday (October 14), the 32-year-old Wang Aili was arrested on October 6 at Los Angeles International Airport while allegedly trying to return to China.

Reports suggest that Wang Aili is accused of purchasing the chemical acrylamide through the eBay platform, which was later detected in the coffee pot used by the victim's wife and others for brewing tea. Surveillance footage captured Wang Aili during the alleged act.

Furthermore, a graduate student from Vietnam, who studied under the same professor as Wang Aili, began experiencing severe fatigue, insomnia, and other unexplained symptoms after attending a prestigious conference in August. He noticed an unusual taste in the tea brewed from the coffee pot on his desk. His wife and others, including an assistant professor in chemistry, found elevated levels of acrylamide in the coffee pot. Following this, the graduate student installed surveillance cameras in the shared office space between him and Wang Aili. The campus is located in Laramie, Wyoming.

Surveillance footage captured Wang Aili flipping through a classmate's research notes and taking photos at his desk. According to a sworn statement from the University of Wyoming campus police, as reported by the Associated Press, Wang Aili's research topic differs from that of the victim, and she had no reason to examine his materials. However, the affidavit noted that Wang Aili's research topic in China reportedly bears similarities to that of this classmate.

The police affidavit states that the victim's research project has received federal funding and is currently applying for a patent, focusing on new technologies for treating cancer, neurological diseases, and genetic disorders.

Reports suggest that Wang Aili's initial thesis defence was unsuccessful, and she had a strained relationship with the victim.

The surveillance footage also showed Wang Aili rinsing the victim's cup with liquid from her own cup.

On October 5, Wang Aili was interviewed by campus police, during which she claimed she had not used acrylamide for many years. However, investigators discovered that she had purchased acrylamide twice on eBay this summer and later requested eBay to delete her account.

Acrylamide is a chemical used in industrial production and scientific research, known for its neurotoxic and carcinogenic properties. The Associated Press reported, citing the victim's professor Mark Gomelsky, that the victim continues to show symptoms of poisoning. The professor remarked, 'Acrylamide is a neurotoxin that cannot be neutralised; it remains in neurons and essentially kills them. Therefore, it is still unclear whether he will fully recover.'

On October 6, the day following her questioning by the police, Wang Aili was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport.

According to documents from the Wyoming prosecutor cited by the Associated Press, Wang Aili was found in possession of multiple laptops, several external digital storage devices, related accessories, physical records, and written materials at the time of her arrest at the airport.

The prosecutor has requested Wang Aili's extradition to Wyoming and has significantly raised the bail amount from $200,000 to $1.5 million in cash. A local judge has approved the prosecution's request for this increased bail.

Wang Aili is facing felony charges of aggravated assault and battery in Wyoming, with a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine if convicted.

The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt.

(Source: Voice of America)△