The story of Ling Zhu double2013-06-18 16:29:28

 

Dear Friend:

 

Please allow me to bring your attention to a heart wrenching story. I believe there are ways we Americans can help. Although it took place in China, several alleged criminals have managed to immigrate to the US. If nothing more, we shall at least try to keep some bad persons out of our country.

Do you remember the vicious Queen from Snow White? When we were children, the jealous Queen's venomous mind once made our hearts shudder. This is a similar story, only that it is true. But the murderer has escaped punishment, now living freely in the US.

In 1992, an extremely talented, good looking girl named Ling Zhu, entered Tsing Hua University (a top elite school) in Beijing, China. She was born to well educated parents on Nov 24, 1973. Gifted, she was further provided excellent education. She did very well in school, at the same time making amazing achievements in music and literature. She was also an accomplished swimmer. It was only natural that she was the center of attention wherever she went. But alas, just like in the fairy tale, her superiority led her to a most cruel destruction, brought on by an evil woman.



Pictures of young Ling Zhu before poisoning

Ling took on an active, busy life in college. Yet there was a dark shadow looming over her happy person. Her three roommates were jealous of her. Starting in October 1994, she developed strange symptoms, including transient visual loss, hair loss, and diffuse vague pain. She sought medical care but the condition went undiagnosed. She returned home for a while, recovered somewhat, then decided to go back to her college dorm for fear of lagging behind in class. But in March 1995 she fell critically ill and was admitted to the Beijing Union Hospital, one of the best in China. There the tragedy started to unfold. The hospital failed to make a timely diagnosis because of lack of discipline and arrogance. Instead it was her high school friend, a 19 yo kind young man who sent her info to multiple Western physicians (including an American doctor then working at the Beijing embassy) via the internet, which led to the delayed final diagnosis of Thallium poisoning.

Thallium is referred to as "poison of poison", a potent neurotoxic agent and imperceptible when mixed with food. It is odorless, colorless, tasteless, and slow acting. It also causes excruiating pain, therefore it is typically shunned by suicidal persons. It turned out Ling's roommate, Wei Sun, was repeatedly poisoning her using Thallium all this time (from Oct 1994 to Mar 1995)! In the beginning it was a small dose that gave Ling those vague symptoms. Then when Ling came back to the dorm after her semi-recovery, yet still ill and sometimes "helped" by Wei Sun, this demonic woman, disguised as a friend, administered a lethal dose of Thallium salt into Ling's coffee cup while tending her. "Let me alone. Keep your hand off me. Oh, Madame! In your hand there is both chill and poison. You envenom and you paralyse." These were the words by Charlotte Bronte to Madame Beck in her book Vilette. How I wish Ling had said those words at the time to her evil caretaker!

Ling went into respiratory failure and stayed in the ICU for five months. While Ling was struggling for life, Wei Sun sent Ling a heavily photoshoped, falsely pretty picture of herself to brandish her evil triumph.

Poisoned Ling in strugging in ICU

The perpertrator, Wei Sun sent this heavily ps picture of herself to dying Ling to brandish her evil triumph

Ling lived, but sustained extensive nervous system damage. She was left nearly entirely blind, with brain atrophy, little motor and verbal function. Her mental capacity was reduced to that of a 5 yo child. Luckily she still knows her parents, so at least she has been able to enjoy their tender love since

What happened afterwards was a dramatic display of human characters. Some proved brave, some kind, some noble, and some were base, apathetic, cold blooded. The case was botched by China's justice system, which is a deplorable existence. There justice serves power.  The court is constantly harassed and manipulated by the government. After a lengthy investigation, it was officially concluded that it was a Thallium murder case.

The Beijing police eventually locked their target on Wei Sun. She was the sole prime suspect of this case.She was one of very few people close to Ling and with easy access to Thallium. At the time the suspect was part of a research project utilizing Thallium. It was also found that Wei was jealous particularly about the victim's musical talents. On April 2, 1997, the Beijing police took Wei Sun into custody for an 8 hour questioning session. What happened in those 8 hours is a mystery. Wei Sun was quickly released at the end of the day to her parents. Nothing has even happened to her since. Now here is the dirty detail: Wei Sun is from a powerful Beijing family, with close ties to top government members. Considering the status of China's justice, one does not need a brain to guess what is behind. The rumor says when ordered to release the suspect, the police chief said: "Let her go?! She deserves to be thrown into a bag and drowned!" It became a cold case. But in the past 19 years, this case has been hot on the internet.

The Beijing policed handled the case in a most ludicrous manner. After releasing Wei Sun, they did not pursue any further and quietly "closed" the case. They have been absolutely mute, meanwhile making up far fetched excuses to Ling's parents from time to time in the past 19 years.

Ling, with her health devastated, clung on to life bravely. In the past long, long 19 years, supported by her heroic parents and friends, she has made it through despite multiple ICU admissions.  What her parents have done for Ling in the past 19 years, no human word can describe. Nor can any word describe the burden on their hearts. During all this time her parents always knew that the murderer was free, being protected by the powerful. Numerous internet reports say that the murderer has immigrated to the US.

Ling forever altered after poisoning



Ling’s mother helps her excise every day. She needs it to prevent complete loss of motor function.



Ling with her parents

There is a good line from an ancient Chinese poem: If God could feel what we humans feel, he would suffer from aging too. Regardless of race and culture, our hearts are blessed and pained by infinitely complex, powerful feelings as long as we exist. Ling's aged parents expressed recently that when they leave this world, they may want to take Ling with them for they are afraid of leaving her alone to face the cruelty of this world or have her dignity be insulted. Would Ling and her parents make God weep? There is never going to be an answer, but I always wonder.

Whenever you have a quiet moment, can you feel whether your heart would feel for Ling and her parents? Below are the names of those involved who now live in the US.

Wei Sun- Sole prime suspect. She has changed her name to Shiyan Sun.

Gang Xue - Victim's class president. Immigrated to the US. Reportedly an accomplice. Now works at Amgen Pharmaceutical, Boston.

Hanlin Li- Victim's roommate. Immigrated to the US. Also possible accomplice. Now works at Vertex Pharmaceutical, Boston. 

This case was recently covered by NY times (May 10, 2013), CNN (May 7, 2013). This website: www.helpzhuling.org, is dedicated to her cause.You can donate safely through this website.