Woman in homicide case was strangled to death

Authorities have released the identity of the victim in the year’s second homicide case, and said that she was apparently strangled to death.

Department of Public Safety spokesman Eric F. David identified the victim yesterday as 42-year-old Jifu Zhang, a Chinese-Korean national who was found dead at her Chalan Piao apartment on Jan. 24, 2005.

David said he was informed by the Criminal Investigation Bureau that, based on the autopsy done on Zhang’s body, it was established that she was strangled and had died of suffocation, though he declined to elaborate how the victim was strangled.

David also said that the autopsy report showed that Zhang was killed on Jan. 22–or two days before she was found.

“She was last seen on Friday night [Jan. 21],” David said. “Anyone who saw her between Friday night and Saturday may call the Crime Stoppers or Criminal Investigation Bureau.”

Preliminary investigation of the case showed that a friend of the victim had called Zhang’s apartment on Saturday but no one had responded.

On Monday, Jan. 24, the friend and several others, all employees of Michigan Garment Factory, went to Zhang’s apartment to find out if she was going to report for work. The apartment is located at the S.T.S. Corp. Commercial Space/Chang Cui, adjacent to the 5K Poker establishment and Li Rong Restaurant across Hopwood Junior High School field.

The employees arrived at the front door and were knocking on it when the door partially opened. They then saw the victim lying motionless on the floor. That’s when they called the police.

David said that Criminal Scene Investigation personnel found signs and evidence of a struggle and that there was what appeared to be a defensive wound on the victim, indicating that foul play may have been involved.

This is the year’s second homicide case, coming on the heels of a Jan. 2 incident where a 38-year-old man was killed at the J&C Poker in China Town by an unidentified male suspect, who fled with about $7,000 in hand.

Anyone with information on these crimes is urged to contact the DPS Criminal Investigation Bureau at 664-9042/9039/9043. To remain anonymous, contact the NMI Crime Stoppers tips line at 234-7272 or *11 from any Verizon Cellular phone (toll free from Tinian and Rota). Information may also be submitted through its website at www.nmicrimestoppers.com.

Crime Stoppers pay up to $1,000 cash for information leading to an arrest. All tips remain anonymous and caller ID is not used.