Manhunt for person of interest in Yale student's murder focused on Georgia: US Marshals
29-year-old MIT researcher Qinxuan Pan is considered armed and dangerous
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The manhunt for Qinxuan Pan, the person of interest wanted for questioning in connection to Yale University graduate student Kevin Jiang’s homicide, remains ongoing Tuesday, the U.S. Marshals Service confirmed to Fox News, as authorities, entering the second week of their search, keep efforts to locate Pan focused on Georgia.
Pan, a 29-year-old Massachusetts resident and MIT graduate student originally from Shanghai, is believed to have been in the area when Jiang was fatally shot at the corner of Lawrence and Nicholl Street in New Haven, Conn., on Feb. 6. He was last spotted in the early morning hours on Feb. 11 driving with family members in Brookhaven or Duluth, Ga., the U.S. Marshals Service said in a statement last week.
FUNERAL SERVICE FOR SLAIN YALE STUDENT KEVIN JIANG TO BE HELD SATURDAY
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Speaking over the phone with Fox News Tuesday, Matthew Duffy, a U.S. Marshals Service spokesman with the District of Connecticut Violent Fugitive Task Force, said their search remains centered on the Brookhaven and Duluth areas. He said these types of manhunts can sometimes be lengthy investigations, and efforts to locate Pan and bring him in for questioning have surpassed the first week.
"We are still concentrating our efforts there," Duffy said, referring to the region in Georgia. "There are two investigations going on simultaneously: The death investigation out of New Haven and the fugitive investigation."
Qinxuan Pan is considered armed and dangerous and was last spotted in Georgia on Feb. 11, authorities said. (New Haven Police Department)
Pan, who authorities say should be considered armed and dangerous, was last seen carrying a black backpack and was acting strangely, family members told investigators. U.S. Marshals first announced Thursday a $5,000 reward for information leading to his location and arrest. He is currently charged with one count of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution and interstate theft of a vehicle.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Authorities describe Pan as a 6-foot Asian male weighing 170 pounds with a medium complexion and short black hair.
U.S. Marshals said he could possibly be staying with friends or family in the Duluth or Brookhaven areas, and individuals should not attempt to apprehend him themselves. Anyone with information regarding Pan’s whereabouts should contact the U.S. Marshals at 1-877-Wanted-2 (1-877-926-8332).
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Jiang, a 26-year-old U.S. Army veteran, National Guardsman and graduate student at Yale’s School of the Environment, grew up in both Chicago and Seattle and had proposed to his girlfriend, Zion Perry, just a week before his death. Perry, whose parents live in Pennsylvania, also attends graduate school at Yale University and completed her undergraduate education at MIT in 2020.
Kevin Jiang proposed to Zion Perry on Jan. 30 - a year after they met at a church retreat in Connecticut. (Facebook)
Jiang and Perry met at a church retreat in Connecticut a year ago.
Authorities have declined to comment on whether any possible connection between Perry and Pan resulted in Jiang’s death. Photos obtained by Fox 61 show Perry and Pan talking at a MIT swing dance in March 2020, but details about any relationship are unknown.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}YALE MURDER MYSTERY 'PERSON OF INTEREST' ATTENDED MIT WITH VICTIM'S FIANCEE, BUT CONNECTION UNKNOWN
Perry could not be reached for comment by Fox News after the New Haven Police Department on Feb. 10 first publicly identified Pan as a person of interest in Jiang’s death. Speaking with Fox News over the phone before the announcement, Perry said she had "no idea" why someone might have targeted Jiang, describing her fiancé as an "on fire follower of Jesus" with a "life lived following after God."
Jiang’s funeral service was held Saturday at Trinity Baptist Church in New Haven, where he and his mother were regular volunteers.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The New Haven Police Department said last week that Pan visited car dealerships in both Connecticut and Massachusetts prior to Jiang’s homicide and was looking to purchase a small model SUV. While at the dealerships, he asked to test drive vehicles and asked to bring them to his mechanic for inspection, according to investigators.
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Any car dealerships that have had contact with Pan in recent months are asked to contact the New Haven Police Department at 203-946-6304 or the New Haven Police Department Anonymous Tip Line at 1-866-888-8477 or via email at ECIC@newhavenct.gov.