"It'd Be Fine If You Were Gone"... Chinese Student Arrested for Spiking Fellow Graduate Student's Drink with Toxic Substance

Victim Has Experienced Symptoms Including Finger Numbness Since August
If Convicted, Wang Could Face Up to 10 Years in Prison

A Chinese student studying in the United States was arrested after allegedly poisoning a fellow graduate student's drink, leaving the victim seriously injured.

Acrylamide Detected in Coffee Maker

Ailee Wang in 2024, in a photo released by the Associated Press. AP-Yonhap News

According to the Associated Press on Oct. 13 (local time), Aili Wang, 32, a Chinese national who was pursuing a master's and doctoral degree in microbiology at the University of Wyoming, was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport on Oct. 6 on suspicion of causing serious bodily injury. She is currently in custody.

The victim was identified as a graduate student from Vietnam who was preparing to file a patent application in the field of disease treatment technology. The victim began experiencing various symptoms in August 2026, including extreme fatigue, insomnia, numbness in the fingers and weakness in the legs.

One day, the victim made tea using the coffee machine on the office desk and noticed that it tasted strange. The victim's wife and others then evaporated the water used in the coffee maker, extracted 63 mg of white powder and handed it over to the police. Tests confirmed that the substance was acrylamide, which is neurotoxic.

Closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage obtained by police from the laboratory showed Wang photographing the victim's research notes and then rinsing the victim's cup with liquid from her own cup.

Advisor: "The Two Had a Poor Relationship"

Mark Gomelsky, a microbiology professor who supervised both graduate students, said that Wang and the victim had not gotten along well. He said Wang was jealous of the victim, who was making significant progress in research on new treatments for cancer and genetic diseases, after Wang failed her first thesis review.

Professor Gomelsky said the victim continues to experience symptoms, including impaired concentration, extreme fatigue and reduced sensation in the left hand. "It is unclear whether the victim will make a full recovery," he said.

If convicted, Wang could face up to 10 years in prison. At the prosecution's request, a Wyoming court raised Wang's bail substantially, from $200,000 (about KRW 270 million) to $1.5 million (about KRW 2 billion).

Acrylamide is a white, odorless chemical. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies it as possibly carcinogenic to humans. Animal studies have shown that a substance produced when acrylamide is metabolized in the body can damage DNA and increase the risk of cancer.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.