NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Editor's Note: The video above is from July 13, 2021.
The man accused of killing a Yale graduate student earlier this year began the challenge against his $20 million bond before the state Supreme Court on Wednesday, claiming that it is too high.
Qinxuan Pan sparked a nationwide manhunt earlier this year after he allegedly killed 26-year-old Kevin Jiang, whose body was found lying in the East Rock neighborhood of New Haven on Feb. 6, 2021.
After three months on the run, Pan was found on May 13 at an apartment in Alabama that he had been renting under an alias. According to court documents, Pan was found with $19,000 in cash, multiple cell phones and his father’s passport.
Law enforcement extradited Pan back to Connecticut, where he faced a judge for the first time. The state initially recommended a $5 million. However, the judge raised it to $20 million, agreeing with prosecutors that Pan was a flight risk with “substantial” financial resources and ties to Shanghai, China, where he was born.
At the time, Pan’s attorney called the bond “exorbitant,” and subsequently filed a motion to modify the bond amount.
Pan’s attorney argued that his client’s ties to his native country and his financial resources had been overstated and that his bond was disproportionately higher than bonds set in other murder cases.
In the appeals court, a judge upheld the bond amount, claiming it was appropriate to ensure Pan’s appearance in court, his safety and the safety of the community, according to court documents.
Pan’s attorney filed an appeal to the Connecticut Supreme Court.
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