A*Star scholarship holder charged with poisoning classmates

[Maxim]

A*Star scholarship holder charged with poisoning classmates

Published on Apr 2, 2015 5:52 AM

Ouyang Xiangyu, 27, is currently out on bail. She is expected to plead not guilty due to insanity.

By Joyce Lim

An A*Star scholarship holder who was doing cancer research at one of America's top universities has been accused of trying to poison her laboratory mates using a toxic chemical.

Singaporean Ouyang Xiangyu, 27, now faces a trial in California after being charged with four counts of poisoning the drinking water of classmates at her graduate studies lab in Stanford University last year.

Currently out on US$50,000 (S$68,600) bail but not allowed to leave the country, she is expected to plead not guilty due to insanity.

The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star) told The Straits Times yesterday that it was "deeply concerned" over the incident. "There will be no action on our part until after the proceedings have concluded," a spokesman said.

Ouyang received A*Star's National Science Scholarship (PhD) in 2013 after her outstanding performance in her undergraduate studies at Imperial College London.

The former Temasek Junior College student, who was originally from China, was expected to complete her PhD studies by 2018 and return to Singapore to complete her five-year bond, the spokesman added.

According to court documents, things started going wrong for her last August, when she allegedly began sabotaging a lab mate's experiment.

From September, two female graduate student researchers working in the same lab also began finding something wrong with the water in their bottles. They experienced burning sensations in their throats, for instance, after drinking.

The students, who were of Asian descent, found that the water smelt of paraformaldehyde. The chemical, which is used to preserve tissue samples, was readily available in the lab.

In November, when questioned by police, Ouyang, who was described as quiet and shy by colleagues, admitted adding the chemical to at least two bottles that did not belong to her.

She claimed she had been suffering from insomnia and dizziness, and had sought help from a psychiatrist. She insisted she never had any intention of harming anyone. Her actions, which she claimed she had little control over, were "a cry for help".

When The Straits Times visited her home in Clementi yesterday, Ouyang's father, who declined to be named, said his wife is currently taking care of their daughter in the United States.

He denied being aware of any medical condition his daughter might have. "If we had known earlier, we would have sent her for treatment."

Tenants living with the family said Ouyang's parents are both researchers.

According to California law, she could face between two and five years in jail if found guilty. Another three years could be added if the poison involved can cause "great bodily harm or death".

[email protected]

Additional reporting by Yeo Sam Jo and Pearl Lee

 

[Maxim]

Singaporean student accused of poisoning Stanford University classmates

The biochemistry graduate student on a prestigious Singapore scholarship faces four charges of poisoning the drinking water of her fellow students with toxic chemical.

PUBLISHED : Thursday, 02 April, 2015, 4:01pm
UPDATED : Thursday, 02 April, 2015, 4:55pm

Chris Luo [email protected]

Ouyang Xiangyu had received National Science scholarships twice in the past.

A Singaporean student on a scholarship at Stanford University has been accused of poisoning her classmates.

Ouyang Xiangyu, 27, a biochemistry graduate student on a prestigious Singapore scholarship, faces four charges of poisoning the drinking water of her fellow students with paraformaldehyde, a chemical used to preserve tissue samples that was readily available in the laboratory, between September and November last year.

She is currently on US$50,000 (HK$387,688) bail and restricted from leaving the country.

In court papers seen by the South China Morning Post, Ouyang’s defence lawyer indicated her client would plead not guilty by reason of insanity, pending an evaluation of her mental state.

Ouyang, originally from China according to the Straits Times, had twice received National Science scholarships from the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), one of the Singapore’s most prestigious scholarships for science students. This allowed her to study at undergraduate level at Imperial College in London and join the renowned Nusse stem cell cancer research laboratory in Stanford University for her PHD programme.

Among five victims identified by the court document, two female graduate student researchers working in the same lab as Ouyang are also originally from China. They had experienced immediate burning in their throats and mouths as a result of drinking the water, the documents said.

Ouyang was arrested last November. When questioned by police, she claimed she had suffered severe insomnia and dizziness, and insisted she didn't mean to harm anyone.

“I wasn’t very clear about why I was doing it and what exactly I was doing,” she was cited as saying.

A*STAR told The Straits Times that it has acknowledged the incident, and was cited saying: “There will be no action on our part until after the proceedings have concluded.”

In 2013 a graduate medical student of distinguished Fudan University in Shanghai, China, fatally poisoned his roommate by placing toxic chemical N-nitrosodimethylamine into the dormitory’s water cooler, in what he said was an April Fool’s joke. The student was later sentenced to death.

And in the famous unsolved poisoning case in 1995, a student of Beijing’s prominent Tsinghua University was found poisoned with large dose of thallium over a period of time. The victim suffered serious neurological damage and permanent physical impairment. Police launched an investigation but were unable to solve the case.

 

[Maxim]

A*Star scholarship holder Ouyang Xiangyu expelled from Stanford

Published on Apr 8, 2015 10:29 PM

Ouyang Xiangyu, an A*Star scholarship holder, has been kicked out of Stanford University after being charged with four counts of poisoning her lab mates. -- PHOTO: ASTAR WEBSITE

By Melissa Sim, Us Correspondent In Palo Alto

SINGAPOREAN A*Star scholarship holder Ouyang Xiangyu has been kicked out of Stanford University, after being charged with four counts of poisoning her lab mates.

The school told The Straits Times Ms Ouyang is "no longer a student" there, after it initially banned her from its California campus in November.

This puts an end to the 27-year-old's time at the top US university, which she once called "a paradise", according to a lab mate who spoke to the police.

Ms Ouyang, who is now out on bail, had been a full-time member of the Nusse Laboratory at the department of developmental biology at Stanford University since June last year.

A*Star said it has been in contact with Ms Ouyang's family and that the family had not asked for assistance from A*Star.

"We will decide on the appropriate course of action after the court proceedings have concluded," the agency said in an e-mail.

Ms Ouyang allegedly started sabotaging lab mate Youngsoo Rim's experiments around mid-August last year. Video footage shows Ms Ouyang in the area of the lab at the times and dates when the sabotage allegedly occurred.

Between September and November last year, two other members of the lab, Ms Xing Liujing and Ms Zhao Ludan, reported that their water bottles had been tainted with paraformaldehyde (PFA), which caused a burning sensation in their throats.

The students complained to university staff, who then called the police.

When questioned by the police in November, Ms Ouyang said she had suffered from severe insomnia and dizziness since last September and admitted to putting PFA in two water bottles belonging to others in her lab.

She added that she was "not aware of what she was doing".

Ms Ouyang is expected to plead not guilty due to insanity.

Attempts to contact her US lawyer, Mr Jeffrey Hayden, for comment were not successful.

Her hallmates added that they had little interaction with her.

Ms Ouyang's hall at Quillen Court was a 12-storey building on campus which organised a dozen events for residents per quarter, but hall mates said they never saw her at these activities.

A fellow Singaporean doctorate student who declined to be named said she met Ms Ouyang a couple of times but only briefly.

"She always seemed like a quiet, gentle and pleasant girl who seemed to want to make friends. I liked her," she said.

Ms Rim told police Ms Ouyang was "very excited about joining the lab at the end of her rotation in June".

But Ms Ouyang started to become more distant in the weeks leading to her arrest on Nov 16.

Those who spoke with The Straits Times said she was considering a change in advisor around September and was also struggling with a coding course.

She "seemed a bit aloof", said Ms Rim. "She would work at her desk with her headphones on and it was sometimes difficult to grab her attention."

[email protected]

Additional reporting by Pearl Lee

 

[Maxim]

A*Star scholarship holder Ouyang Xiangyu returns to court on May 15 on charges of poisoning lab mates

Published on Apr 9, 2015 12:59 PM

Singaporean A*Star scholarship holder Ouyang Xiangyu will be back in court in Palo Alto on May 15 on charges of poisoning drinking water of her laboratory mates at Stanford University. -- PHOTO: ASTAR WEBSITE

By Melissa Sim, Us Correspondent In Palo Alto, California

SINGAPOREAN A*Star scholarship holder Ouyang Xiangyu will be back in court in Palo Alto on May 15 on charges of poisoning drinking water of her laboratory mates at Stanford University.

It will be her fifth court appearance since her arrest on Nov 16 last year. Her first court appearance was on Dec 1.

Ouyang, 26, has been charged with four counts of poisoning the drinking water of two of her Stanford lab mates between September and November last year. She admitted to adding paraformaldehyde (PFA) to two water bottles that were not her own, but is likely to plead not guilty due to insanity.

Prior to these incidents, she had also sabotaged her lab mate's experiments starting from mid-August.

Stanford University said Ouyang is no longer a student there.

She is currently on a US$50,000 bail (S$67,771) and is barred from leaving the United States.

Court documents show that she will undergo a mental health examination, the results of which are likely to be used in her defence.

During her interview with police, Ouyang said she had been psychologically unstable, depressed, stressed and very dizzy since September.

She also seemed repentant in her statement, telling the police "I know it's wrong" and the thought of her lab mates drinking the tainted water was terrifying.

[email protected]

 

[Prodigy]

Scholarship holder pleads not guilty to poisoning

Melissa Sim The Straits Times Sunday, May 17, 2015

Ouyang Xiangyu allegedly put paraformaldehyde in two water bottles belonging to her lab mates.

Singaporean A*Star scholarship holder Ouyang Xiangyu, 26, pleaded not guilty at the Santa Clara County Superior Court on Friday to four counts of poisoning her laboratory mates.

The former Stanford University graduate student's appearance at the Palo Alto Courthouse in California was her fifth since her arrest last Nov 16 for poisoning the drinking water of two lab mates between September and November last year.

Prior to those incidents, she had also allegedly sabotaged another lab mate's experiment from mid-August last year.

Ouyang, who has been described by fellow students as quiet and shy, became a full member of the Nusse Laboratory at the department of developmental biology at Stanford in June last year. Last month, the university said she had been expelled.

According to court documents, she had been experiencing severe insomnia and dizziness since September last year, and admitted to police that she had indeed put paraformaldehyde in two water bottles belonging to her lab mates.

The substance is a preservative used in mortuaries and medical laboratories, and can cause severe skin irritation. It can be lethal when ingested.

 

[Microsoft]

Tio expelled no problem lah...can buy a degree frm Ah Leng @ Geylang kopitiam...papies fully recognize huan...

 

[borom]

An effect of been called talent and given special treatment for so many years in Singapore.

Many of these PRC's imports were treated like precious jewels and given very generous scholarships, special preparatory courses and housed in purpose built hostels-isolated from the mainstream of society. They also read in the papers that we should bend backwards to accommodate them.Basically mixed with other pampered PRC "scholars" and are PRC's 101%-nothing Singaporean about them except for the piece of citizenship paper.

In the US, she's probably seen as another nerdish chink and missed the special treatment she's used to in Singapore.

 

[Cream]

Former A*Star scholar Ouyang Xiangyu gets 3 years' probation for poisoning lab mates

Former Stanford student Ouyang Xiangyu (centre in white) arrives at the Court in Palo Alto on Friday, Jan 15 with her family members and lawyer Jeffrey Hayden for her sentencing hearing. ST PHOTO: JEREMY AU YONG

Published Jan 16, 2016, 9:45 am SGT
Melissa Sim
US Correspondent

PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA - Former A*Star scholarship holder Ouyang Xiangyu, 27, was sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to complete 176 days of community service on Friday (Jan 15), after pleading "no contest" to four counts of poisoning.

Judge Vincent Chiarello spoke to lawyers in his chambers before delivering his sentence.

He told the court he had considered character references from her church, psychological reports and has also taken into consideration statements from the victims about their current physical condition as a consequence of the poisoning, though no further details on the statements were available.

He added that the court understands that Ouyang is currently responding to treatment, but no details were revealed about her current mental condition.

Ouyang, who appeared sombre throughout the sentencing, agreed in court to carry out community service five days a week, starting on Monday Feb 22.

Ouyang's lawyer Jeffrey Hayden told The Straits Times that his client will now adjust to what the court wants her to do and is "nothing if not trying to please".

Formerly a student of Stanford University, Ouyang was ordered to stay away form the campus, and is to have no contact with the victims during the probation period.
Mr Jeffrey Hayden, defence lawyer for former A*Star scholar Ouyang Xiangyu, speaks to ST

Ouyang was arrested on Nov 16, 2014 after poisoning the drinking water of two Stanford laboratory mates between September and November that year.

The lab mates, in court documents, said they experienced a burning sensation in their throats after drinking from their bottles. There was no serious injury.

When questioned by the police, Ouyang said she had been experiencing severe insomnia and dizziness since September 2014 and was not aware of what she was doing.

Ouyang admitted to putting paraformaldehyde in two water bottles belonging to two lab mates but said she never had any personal issues with them and "didn't mean to harm people".

Other Stanford students who spoke to The Straits Times and knew Ouyang said she was a quiet and shy individual and had seemed stressed by school work.

Ouyang, who has since been expelled from Stanford University, had also allegedly sabotaged a lab mate's experiments from mid-August last year.

Deputy district attorney Anne Seery told The Straits Times that she had not pursued jail time for Ouyang as the victims had agreed that it would be better for her to get counselling and therapy.

"I think a fair resolution", has been reached, said Ms Seery.