U.S. marshals nab suspect in slaying of Yale student
Authorities: Qinxuan Pan was taken into custody in Alabama
NEW HAVEN — Qinxuan Pan, wanted in connection with the February slaying of Yale graduate student Kevin Jiang, was arrested in Alabama, according to Massachusetts State Police.
David Procopio, a staffer with media relations for the Massachusetts State Police, said Pan had been taken into custody by U.S. Marshals in Alabama Friday. Massachusetts troopers assisted in the arrest, he said.
James Stossel, deputy chief of the office of public affairs with the U.S. Marshals Service, said Pan was being held at the Montgomery County Detention Center.
Asked whether Pan would be extradited to Connecticut, Stossel said the question “will not be answered right now, because there are too many variables involved from many different sides.”
Pan was taken into custody without incident and taken to the detention center, according to the marshal service.
Police in Montgomery, Ala., did not return call or emails seeking comment Friday.
“I am extremely proud of the cooperation and efforts of the U.S. Marshals, the Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force, and our state and local partners in apprehending Pan,” said U.S. Marshal for the Middle District of Alabama Jesse Seroyer Jr., in a release. “Once we received information that Pan was in Montgomery, a plan was developed and executed. This is another example of hard work by federal and state partners to arrest violent fugitives.”
Pan had been seen last in the early morning hours on Feb. 11 driving with family members in Georgia.
U.S. Marshal Matthew Duffy, the point of contact for the U.S. Marshals’ Office in Connecticut throughout the search for Pan, also confirmed Pan was taken into custody. He said he could not provide further details Friday.
City police obtained a warrant charging Pan with Kevin Jiang’s slaying in late February. The department had named him as a person of interest in the case Feb. 10.
Jiang was shot to death on Lawrence Street in the city’s East Rock neighborhood Feb. 6.
Pan graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He was living in Malden, Mass., on the day he allegedly drove to New Haven and killed Jiang. After he fled Connecticut, relatives spotted him in Georgia, the marshals service has said.
In a release, Duffy said the office was pleased to announce that “the U.S. Marshals Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force, in conjunction with the U.S. Marshals Middle District of Alabama and the Montgomery Police Department,” had arrested Pan.
The pastors of Trinity Baptist, where Jiang’s funeral was held, expressed gratitude Friday to law enforcement for arresting the man suspected of killing Jiang.
“We are grateful for the diligent efforts of law enforcement and for the arrest of the suspect. We continue to pray that the truth would be revealed, that justice would be done, and that God would bring healing and comfort to Kevin’s family and loved ones,” Matt Coburn, Greg Hendrickson and Nick Lauer said in a statement.
Yale Chief of Police Ronnell A. Higgins said in a statement Friday that Jiang “remains in the thoughts of the members of the YPD: we wish peace to his family and friends.”
“This arrest was made possible by the hard work and close cooperation of many law enforcement agencies,” Higgins said. “From the outset, the Yale Police Department has worked closely with our exceptional colleagues at NHPD, who should be applauded for the excellent police work that contributed to today’s good news.
New Haven police also noted Pan’s arrest in a release Friday but did not provide further details.
“The successful apprehension of Qinxuan Pan this morning in Montgomery, Alabama, marks the culmination of countless hours of investigation and is a testament to the dedication of all the investigators involved,” said Lawrence Bobnick, acting U.S. Marshal for the District of Connecticut, in a statement.
“The unwavering commitment of the men and women supporting this operation was truly remarkable. Further, this arrest exemplifies the routine selfless cooperation between the U.S. Marshals Service, with its network of nationwide fugitive task forces, and state, local, and federal law enforcement entities across multiple jurisdictions and states.”
Jiang’s fellow students and members of Trinity Baptist Church, where he volunteered, raised funds to support his family. He had proposed to his fiancee, Zion Perry, a week before his death.
Perry could not be reached for comment Friday.
Those who knew Jiang have described him as a person of faith and energy, including his parents, speaking during his funeral at Trinity Baptist Church in New Haven.
“Kevin’s life was short but colorful, and brought so much joy, happiness and positivity to those around him,” said Linda Liu, his mother. “As a mother, I will always miss Kevin, and treasure the blessings he brought me. Although Kevin is gone from us now, Kevin is the most wonderful gift God has ever given me on Earth. I look forward to being reunited with Kevin in heaven in the future.”
The U.S. Marshals office for Connecticut previously reported Pan, a graduate student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, “could possibly be staying with friends or family in the Duluth or Brookhaven areas” of Georgia.