Utah College Student Accused of Killing His Girlfriend in Motel Says They Made Suicide Pact, but He Survived

Haoyu Wang allegedly injected a 19-year-old woman with fentanyl and heroin he bought on the deep web

Photo: Salt Lake City Police

Authorities in Utah have charged a Chinese national with murder, alleging he delivered a fatal dose of heroin to his girlfriend as part of an unfulfilled suicide pact.

A statement from Salt Lake City Police confirms that Haoyu Wang, 26, was detained Friday inside a downtown motel room.

Police made their way to the motel as part of an investigation into the welfare of an unnamed 19-year-old woman.

"Officers received information from the University of Utah Police Department of a man who made threats to kill his girlfriend," reads the statement. "When law enforcement entered the motel room, they located ... Wang and a 19-year-old non-responsive woman."

Police and paramedics tried to revive the woman, who was also a student at the university, but she was already dead.

As part of their investigation, detectives from the Salt Lake City Police Department's Homicide Squad "learned Wang claimed he killed the victim and then attempted to kill himself by reportedly injecting himself with drugs."

The Deseret News, citing an arrest affidavit, reports that Wang told police he injected the victim with heroin and fentanyl he had obtained via the deep web.

He said they "intended to commit suicide together," and that after snorting heroin, the 19-year-old lost consciousness.

"Haoyu then injected her with a high dose of heroin with the intent to kill her and relieve her suffering," the affidavit reads, according to the Deseret News. "After injecting the victim, Haoyu said that she died. Haoyu then injected himself with heroin and remained in the room with the victim until police arrived."

Salt Lake City Police

The statement from police confirms Wang and the woman "were in a romantic relationship and had been living together. As such, this case is being investigated as a domestic violence-related homicide."

Wang remains in custody without bail. No pleas have been entered by Wang or anyone representing him.

Wang does not yet have an attorney of record who could speak on his behalf.

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"The victim is not being identified at this time to allow notification of her death to her family," reads the police statement.

In a statement of its own, the University of Utah confirmed the victim was also an international student.

"Our campus mourns her loss and grieves with her family and friends," reads the statement. "We know this news is difficult to process and will affect members of our campus community — especially those who are survivors or close to survivors of domestic violence. We urge anyone in need of support to reach out to those around them and university resources for help."

The statement adds: "The death of any young person embarking on adult life is devastating. And, unfortunately, domestic violence is more prevalent than many of us are aware, even among college students. On behalf of the university, we extend our heartfelt grief and sympathy to the family, friends and classmates of the victim during this incredibly difficult time."

The school is offering on-campus counseling services to its students.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.