NEW HAVEN, Conn. — The man accused of murdering a Yale graduate student in February was back in a New Haven courtroom today as his attorney attempted to have his bond reduced from $20 million dollars to $2 million.
Last month, Qinxuan Pan's attorney appealed to the state Supreme Court to have his state-record high bond reduced. The high court kicked it back to a New Haven judge. And today's ruling will result in another appeal.
Presiding New Haven Superior Court Judge Gerald Harmon initially set Qinxuan Pan's bond at $5 million upon signing his arrest warrant in February. But, when Pan was arrested after three months on the run, another judge set bond at $20 million. On Wednesday, that's where Harmon kept it.
"I expected a significant reduction in the bond," said attorney William Gerace, Pan's lawyer.
Gerace contends his client was cordial during two encounters with police and is not a flight risk. Harmon questioned how a man, unemployed for months, could be found with $19,000 cash in his possession when he was captured in May, in Alabama, in an apartment he was renting under a fake name.
Gerace said, "The judge thought that was significant. What can I say? It’s not a crime to have money."
"He was also in possession of his father’s passport," Harmon said. "And his parents had admitted to picking up the son in Connecticut after the alleged murder and driving him to various locations out of state."
Senior Assistant State's Attorney, Stacey Miranda, said during the hearing that the state has evidence Pan or his family has had contact with people in his native China within the last year.
But Gerace said, "Not from my client. And if she (Miranda) has it (evidence), I’d like to see it."
Among those present in the courtroom, the parents of murder victim Kevin Jiang.
"The pain we feel is unbearable," said Jiang family attorney, Willie Dow, reading from a prepared statement.
The victim's fiancée, Zion Perry, allegedly told investigators she socialized with Pan when the two were students at MIT as recently as the spring of last year. And, also according to the arrest warrant affidavit, Perry said she thought Pan had feelings for her.
"He was an exceptional person, an outstanding student, a veteran, who served his country and a person who wanted to work to make this world a better place," said Dow, reading from the statement.
When Gerace learned Jiang's family was going to be in the courtroom, he instructed Pan's parents to stay away from court today to avoid any potential drama. Pan's parents are also being investigated for hindering prosecution.
Gerace promised to appeal to the Connecticut Supreme Court again.
"They’ve asked for specific delineation of what the correlation between the money and his risk for flight is," Gerace said of the Supreme Court. "And I’m not sure if they will be satisfied with this or not."
For now, the case was continued until September 21.
Qinxuan Pan bond hearing
--
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.