CRIME, POLICE + COURTS
University of Utah student accused of killing girlfriend formally charged
Feb 25, 2022, 5:20 PM | Updated: Dec 29, 2022, 11:44 am
Salt Lake City police on scene at what they call a suspicious death at 616 South 200 West. Photo credit: SLC Police
SALT LAKE CITY — Charges have been filed against a University of Utah student who allegedly killed his girlfriend.
University of Utah student charged
Haoyu Wang has been charged with one count of murder, and two counts of Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Distribute.
Wang sent an email to the University earlier this month, that he and his girlfriend were going to kill themselves by overdosing on drugs he bought off of the dark web.
However, he told police his girlfriend didn’t die after taking the drugs at a downtown Salt Lake City Quality Inn, so he administered more to kill her.
Previous reporting
A 19-year-old woman was found dead in a Quality Inn hotel room on Feb. 11.
Zhifan Dong was found unresponsive, along with 26-year-old Haoyu Wang.
“Zhifan Dong was a first-year undergraduate student from Anyang, Henan, China,” said University President Taylor Randall wrote in a statement earlier this month. “I want to express my deepest sympathy to Zhifan’s family, friends, and loved ones. Zhifan’s family will travel to Salt Lake City in the coming days and at that time we will consult with them as to the most appropriate way to remember and honor Zhifan.”
Randal said that Zhifan was part of the University’s Utah Global program, which immerses first-year
