Xue Family Murder and Abandonment - Arrest, Trial and Conviction

Arrest, Trial and Conviction

On Thursday 28 February 2008, a group of six people living in an apartment block in Chamblee, Atlanta, Georgia recognised Mr Xue from a photograph in the Chinese-language press. They attempted to inform the police but had difficulty in making themselves understood. In frustration, they captured him themselves. They removed his pants and tied them around his legs. They used his belt to tie his hands behind his back until police arrived to arrest him.

Xue initially attempted to provide a false name but he was identified from his New Zealand driver's licence. He had been on the run for 24 weeks. His overstay in the United States without an appropriate visa meant that he was liable for deportation rather than extradition.

Xue was deported to New Zealand on 9 March 2008 to face murder charges over the death of his wife. His trial began on 2 June 2009. The prosecution presented evidence of ongoing violence and threats by Xue to his wife, while the defence argued that Anan Liu had been unfaithful and died in a sexual misadventure. On 20 June, Xue was found guilty of Liu's murder. On 31 July, Xue was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum non-parole period of twelve years.