Boyfriend watches on webcam as girlfriend murdered 11,000 miles away

http://www.independent.ie/world-news/americas/boyfriend-watches-on-webcam-as-girlfriend-murdered-11000-miles-away-2624712.html


Boyfriend watches on webcam as girlfriend murdered 11,000 miles away
By Barney Henderson


Wednesday April 20 2011

A student was murdered in her bedroom in Canada as she chatted to her boyfriend on webcam, who watched, powerless, as the attack unfolded.

Qian Liu, 23, from Beijing was seen struggling with a man who entered her room at York University Village in Toronto as she spoke via live webcam to her boyfriend 11,000 miles away in China.

The unnamed boyfriend said there had been a knock at the door during their conversation at around 1am on Friday morning.

"She opened the door to a male. She could have known the male but he was unknown to the online witness," said Detective Sergeant Frank Skubic from Toronto Police.

He then watched as the muscular man with medium-length brown hair asked to use Liu's mobile phone.

A violent struggle ensued, although some of it took place outside the camera's range.

The suspect, described as white, in his 20s and 6ft tall, then switched off the laptop, which is now missing. Liu's flatmates said the suspect had been pursuing her romantically.

The boyfriend tried to raise the alarm with Liu's friends at the university through several social networking websites, but police only arrived at the scene ten hours later to find her semi-naked body.

"The online witness became concerned and contacted several people known to the deceased here in Canada, and appealed to them to go and track down her welfare," said Det Sgt Skubic.

Police have not yet announced the cause of death and are attempting to retrieve the webcam images to help solve the crime.

- Barney Henderson

© Telegraph.co.uk

so sad.

That"s dreadful, how must the boyfriend be feeling knowing he was powerless to help. I hope they catch the culprit soon.

Panda wrote:

That"s dreadful, how must the boyfriend be feeling knowing he was powerless to help. I hope they catch the culprit soon.

Panda, I think someone has been charged.

ETA:

http://www.theprovince.com/news/Accused+murder+remanded/4659978/story.html

A man accused of first-degree murder in the death of York University student Qian Liu was remanded in custody after a brief court appearance Thursday.

Brian Dickson, 29, was led into court in handcuffs. He is a politically involved, wellknown figure on the campus.

Liu was found dead a week ago inside her home just minutes from York University, where she was studying English.

The 23-year-old was online with a friend in China at around 1 a.m. on Friday, and while the two were chatting, a man entered the apartment. A struggle followed during which the computer was turned off. Following the altercation, the online witness contacted people known to Liu out of concern for her safety.

Police said Tuesday they are still missing key pieces of evidence, such as Liu's external webcam, her Thinkpad and her cellphone.

The man in China told police that Liu let someone into her apartment.

Police still don't know how Liu died.

Her distraught parents arrived in Toronto from China on Wednesday.

Thanks AnnaEsse, I presume the boyfriend will come to York to identify him.