On Friday, April 19th, Chinese-American Google engineer and murder suspect Chen Liren appeared in court for a hearing in San Jose. The judge ruled that he would have to appear in court again on June 7th.
This preliminary hearing on April 19th was Chen Liren’s seventh. It was also his second appearance in the San Jose court. Chen wore an orange-red top, with a yellow vest over it, handcuffs on his hands, a thin iron chain around his waist connecting to the handcuffs on both sides. However, this time he was not wearing a safety helmet.
The courtroom appearance lasted only a few minutes, with Judge Cynthia A. Sevely mainly confirming the date for the next appearance. Chen’s lawyer did not raise any objections. The prosecutor for the case, Michael Gadeberg, declined interviews.
When asked if he had spoken with the victim’s family, he stated that he could not disclose that information to protect privacy. However, outside the courtroom, he briefly explained that the defense and their lawyers could delay the trial for insufficient preparation until they were ready.
Mr. Liu, who came to listen to the proceedings, is a recent graduate looking for a job. He mentioned that he shares many similarities with Chen Liren, being Chinese, in the same profession, and with a similar educational background. He expressed his interest in the case as a result. From this case, he learned the importance of emotional management and the need to respect the law.
Currently, Chen Liren is detained at the Main Jail in North Santa Clara County, located on West Hedding Street in downtown San Jose, just a few steps away from the Santa Clara County Superior Court where the hearing took place.
Both Chen Liren and his wife, Yu Xuan Yi, studied at Tsinghua University in Beijing and the University of California, San Diego. They were both software engineers at Google.
On January 16th of this year, 27-year-old Chen Liren allegedly repeatedly punched his wife Yu Xuan Yi in the head in their more than two million-dollar residence on Valley Way in Santa Clara, resulting in her death.
Chen Liren is charged with the murder of his wife. The prosecution’s indictment alleges severe violence and threats of serious bodily harm, describing his actions as extremely brutal.
If convicted, he could face life imprisonment without parole.