Professor at Louisiana Tech Charged With Attempting to Kill a Colleague
By SHARON WALSH
Chronicle of Higher Education (online) Monday, April 15, 2002
http://chronicle.com/daily/2002/04/2002041503n.htm
A physics professor at Louisiana Tech University has been charged with
attempted second-degree murder after hitting a colleague over the head
with a hammer, a police spokesman told the Associated Press.
The professor, Zhenchen Zhong, 38, attacked Jia Ping Liu, 41, another
physics professor at Louisiana Tech, because he was jealous that Mr. Liu
had received a grant, Mr. Liu's wife told the police.
Ruston, La., police officials could not be reached for comment on
Sunday. Nor could officials of the university.
Mr. Zhong reportedly asked Mr. Liu for a ride on Thursday, sat in the
back seat of the car and attacked Mr. Liu with a hammer when the car
stopped in front of Mr. Zhong's home. A police spokesman told the AP
that Mr. Zhong said he wanted Mr. Liu to die.
Mr. Liu wrested the hammer from Mr. Zhong before running to a friend's
home nearby. He was later treated and released from a Ruston Hospital.
Both Mr. Zhong and Mr. Liu are assistant professors of physics. Feng
Liu, Mr. Liu's wife, said by telephone Sunday that her husband was not
feeling well and declined to answer any further questions. Mr. Zhong
could not be reached.
Mr. Liu's wife told authorities that Mr. Zhong was "very jealous and
envious" that her husband had won a grant and that he had not, the
police spokesman reported.
The spokesman, Michael Freeman, told the AP that investigators recovered
a black nylon bag, reportedly belonging to Mr. Zhong, that contained
packing rope, duct tape, latex surgical gloves, typing paper, a note
pad, and a Bible in Chinese. He said it was unclear why Mr. Zhong had
the items with him.